The Pawn
by Billie Verfasser
Summary: In an alternate universe where Anakin did not turn to the dark side, he must fight to restore the Order and destroy Palpatine. Follows the general story line of Episode 3 until a certain point, then becomes completely AU.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All George's creation, none of the characters are mine.

_The raspy breathing filled up the room as the man in the black suit swung his light saber at the sandy haired man. The boy, he corrected himself, for he looked barely over 20. He cornered the boy and cut off his hand. The boy began crawling away from him on a narrow pipe. _

"_Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destruction and conflict and bring order to the galaxy." the man in black said.  
"I'll never join you!" The boy yelled, clinging to a pole for support.  
"If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," the man in black said slowly._

"_He told me enough," the boy hissed. "He told me you killed him."_

"_No. I am your father," the man in black said. As the boy yelled, Anakin jerked awake in a cold sweat._

He gasped for air, trying not to cry out. He glanced at Padme, who was still soundly sleeping next to him. He slid out of bed, trying to make as little noise as possible, and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water.

"_Who were those people?" _Anakin wondered to himself as he took a sip.

"_I think you know who they were," _a small voice inside his head said, the same voice that told him to kill the sand people when he found they had tortured his mother. The voice enjoyed showing up when it wasn't wanted, always pushing him over the edge into something he would later realize was a bad decision. _"Hm, a sandy haired boy with blue eyes," _the voice continued, _"the son of a great Sith lord. One who used to be very close to Obi-Wan Kenobi, so perhaps once a Jedi. Does it take that much to connect the dots? Is your wife not pregnant?" _

"_I would never go to the dark side. It would kill her," _Anakin reasoned.

"_Ah, but those dreams you've been having about her dying in childbirth. You believe them, no? Palpatine told you he knew how to save her, which involved powers the Jedi could only dream of. Do you truly believe that does not sound like the dark side? It's the only way you can save her." _  
"Ani?" Padme said as she walked into the kitchen. She was alarmed at how pale he was. "Anakin? Are you okay?" she said again after he did not answer.  
"Wha-oh, I'm fine, Padme," he said as he was shaken from his reverie.  
"You look like you've seen a ghost. Tell me what's wrong," she said as she walked up to him and put her arms around his neck.

"It's nothing, just a dream. Go back to sleep, I'll be there in a moment," he said and then kissed her. She looked up at him for a long time, a slightly sad expression on her face. She finally said, "Okay, if you need to talk I'm always here," and walked away.

He watched her go as he went back to his thoughts.

"_But what if I can't save her?" _He thought. _"If the dark side can save her, isn't it all worth it? No, it wasn't." _He had just seen what the dark side would do to him and what he would do to his son. But then the voice came back, _"But it is the only way. You could defeat Palpatine, and you and Padme could rule the galaxy." _He ignored the voice. If he could do that to his own son, he couldn't imagine what he would do to Padme. He would go to Obi-Wan in the morning, who was back in Coruscant for a little while after killing Grievous. He would discuss it with him, maybe even tell him about him and Padme, but that was a big maybe.

"_He'll just blame you,"_ the voice insisted. _"He'll abandon you, sell you out to the other Jedi. You know how they all feel about attachment, they'll kick you out. Then what will you do?"_ Maybe he didn't need to tell Obi-Wan all the details. But he knew he needed to talk to him and sort at least the dream he just had out.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin headed for Obi-Wan's private quarters the next morning. He didn't want to tell Padme what he was doing, so he made up a lie about doing some training exercises in the Temple Ziggurat. He felt awful about lying to her, but he knew she could not know about what he intended to do.

"_What do you intend to do?" _The voice asked. Anakin ignored it, not knowing himself. He arrived at Obi-Wan's apartment faster than he had anticipated and hesitated before knocking. What was he going to say? Would he tell him about Padme? If he didn't, what would he say? That he had a dream he was a Sith? Before he could decide, the door slid open to reveal a surprised Obi-Wan.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I didn't even sense you outside the door."

"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin replied, avoiding Obi-Wan's gaze. "I should have called before. I just have a small matter to…discuss with you."

"Oh, well I was just about to go to the Temple to meditate, but I suppose that can wait. Come in," he said, moving from the door so Anakin could enter. Though it was his private residence, as is allowed of many high-ranking Jedi, Obi-Wan's apartment was small and plain. The walls of the main room were painted a color in-between beige and white, and the carpet matched it. The room had a couch and a few floor cushions around a brown table. A small viewscreen hung on the wall across from the couch, Anakin had never seen the viewscreen even on in Obi-Wan's apartment.

"Well, sit down," Obi-Wan said, sitting on the couch. Anakin slowly sat next to him, still avoiding eye contact. They sat silently for a few moments, Obi-Wan looking at Anakin and Anakin looking at his hands.

"What did you want to say?" Obi-Wan asked, a slight edge in his voice.

"I'm afraid that what I will say will cause you to turn from me," Anakin confessed.

"Anakin, the very fact that you are willing to tell me what is going on shows me that you really need my help. You're not a very open person, you know," Obi-Wan chuckled slightly. After Anakin still remained silent, Obi-Wan said, "You're like a brother to me, a son, even. I'll help you with whatever challenge you face as long as you tell me about it." Anakin sighed, "I've been having…dreams."

"Dreams?" Obi-Wan said. "Like the ones you used to have about your mother?"

"Yes. Well, ones like my mother's and others."

"But now…now they're about Padme. Correct?" Obi-Wan asked with hesitance in his voice. Anakin said nothing, which was enough for Obi-Wan to know that his assumption was correct. They sat silently again for some time, neither wanting to speak.

"I…I can't lose her," Anakin said, his voice cracking slightly. "The dreams, they feel so real. I dream that she dies while giving birth."

Obi-Wan sighed, "And you're the father?" It was said more like a statement than a question. Obi-Wan had sensed that their relationship was more than that of close friends, but he chose to ignore it, thinking that Anakin's crush would go away once he grew up and realized his potential as a great Jedi.

"Yes. She's my wife," Anakin conceded, this time looking Obi-Wan in the eye. Obi-Wan only nodded, so Anakin continued, "As I said, the dreams remind me of the ones I had about my mother, and she died just as my dream showed me she would. However, that's not the only dream I've been having. Last night, I dreamt I was a man dressed all in black, someone who must have been gravely injured, for I wore a helmet and breathed with the help of a machine. I was fighting a young boy, one who, I admit, looked a lot like me. I told him he was my son. I wanted him to join me in the dark side. He knew you, and I-well, the man I was in the dream-knew you as well."

"Did you think that this man was you? A vision of things to come?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes. It wasn't just a simple dream where I was in the shoes of this man. I truly was this man. He had the same memories I have, had the same life as me. When I was that man, I could think and feel and remember my life as a slave on Tatooine or moments I've had with Padme. I can't let this happen, I can't do that to her."

"Well, I may have a solution, at least to avoid you falling to the dark side, but I'm afraid you aren't going to like it," Obi-Wan said after a few moments silence.

"Tell me."

"Avoid Palpatine. The man is hiding something; I know you sense it too."

"I knew you'd do this. I knew I shouldn't have come to you with this, I should have known you'd never understand," Anakin said angrily, getting up quickly and storming to the door.

"Anakin wait," Obi-Wan said, standing up as well. Anakin stopped, just about to open the door. "You asked for my help. That's my advice. I know you don't like it, but think about it. Search your feelings, rethink conversations you two have had, open your mind and you'll see. I have no reason to manipulate you." Anakin said nothing, but still didn't leave the apartment. Obi-Wan sighed, "I wont tell anyone about you and Padme. I hope that, if you decide Palpatine is your friend, you will one day forgive me. Though it's a little late, congratulations on your marriage and future child. I really am happy for you." Without saying another word, Anakin stormed out of the apartment, heading for Palpatine's office.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All characters belong to George. There is a series of dialogue that was taken right from Revenge of the Sith. I do not claim to have written any of that, I felt that it would show the parallels between what happened and what could have happened.

Anakin approached Palpatine's office quickly, not wanting time to think about what Obi-Wan said. Obi-Wan wasn't right about Palpatine, he knew it.

"Chancellor," Anakin said as he entered the white haired man's office, bowing slightly.

"Anakin, my, what a surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Palpatine said smoothly.

Anakin paused for a moment before responding, "It's the Jedi. I fear that they are pushing me to the dark side. They don't appreciate my abilities, and are unable to help me with my problems. I don't have anyone who supports me. I'm sorry, it's just so frustrating."

"It's upsetting to me to see the council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents. Don't you wonder why they wont make you a Jedi Master?" Palpatine replied.

"I wish I knew. More and more I feel that I'm being excluded from the council. I know there are things about the force that they are not telling me." Anakin said, pacing slightly. Palpatine nodded, "They don't trust you, Anakin. They see your future, they know your power would be too strong to control. You must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you," he said, leading Anakin away from his office and into a connecting hallway. "Let me help you to know the subtleties of the force."

"How do you know the ways of the force?"

"My mentor taught me everything about the force. Even the nature of the dark side," Palpatine said quietly.

"You know the dark side?" Anakin asked, rounding on him.

"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all it's aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader you must embrace a larger view of the force. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the force and you will be able to save your wife from certain death," Palpatine said, smiling menacingly.

"What did you say?" Anakin asked, circling the old man.

"Use my knowledge, I beg you," Palpatine continued. At this, Anakin ignited his bright blue, humming lightsaber.

"You're the Sith lord," he said, holding the weapon to Palpatine's face.

"I know what's been troubling you. Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council. Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi, a life of significance, of conscience," Palpatine pressed on, despite the growing danger of Anakin decapitating him with his lightsaber. "Are you going to kill me?" He asked, turning away from Anakin.

"I would certainly like to," he replied, raising the lightsaber more. "But, you must be brought to trial. I'm going to turn you over to the Jedi council," he said, extinguishing his blade.

"Of course, you should, but you're not sure of their intentions, are you? You have great wisdom, Anakin. Knowing the power of the dark side, you will have the power to save Padme."

"You leave her out of this," Anakin hissed, as he quickly turned and exited the Sith lord's office.

* * *

Anakin turned on his holoprojector and connected to Obi-Wan, the minute the signal went through, Anakin spoke.

"Master, it appears you were right about Palpatine," Anakin said hurridly, still walking quickly to the Temple.

"How do you know?"

"He has knowledge of the force, especially the dark side. He told me with his teachings, I would be able to save Padme," Anakin said quietly, feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought of Padme.

"Anakin, he's lying. As you saw in your dream, the dark side will not save her and will turn you into something you are not. We have to alert the council about this. Meet me at the entrance of the Temple and find Mace or Yoda to alert them of this."

* * *

Obi-Wan and Anakin approached Mace quickly.

"Master Windu, we have some grave information about Chancellor Palpatine," Obi-Wan said. "We believe that he may-"

"He's a Sith lord," Anakin interrupted. "He's a Sith lord and he's going to do something awful if we don't act now." Mace looked at them incredulously, "How do you know this?"

"He has knowledge of the force, the dark side of the force. He attempted to turn me into his apprentice, he told me he could teach me great powers…incredible powers," Anakin said, looking away.

"Then he knows we're coming for him," Mace began. "We must-" A huge explosion that shook the ground they were standing on cut him off, and all three Jedi struggled to stay vertical. Before any of them could say or do anything, thousands of clones stormed into the room, shooting Jedi. They sprang into action, each cutting down hundreds of enemy soldiers. However, they just kept coming. Anakin, Mace, and Obi-Wan managed to briefly hide behind a large pillar.

"He's been planning this," Mace yelled over the noise of the battle commencing behind them. "It's no use to stay here and fight, there are hundreds of thousands of clone troops they can bring here. We need to alert the other Jedi."

"I'll do that, I'll send out a transmission for all other Jedi to stay away and search for other survivors in the Temple," Obi-Wan said, and looked at Anakin's worried face. "Go to Padme, make sure she's safe. Alert the other senators to what is really going on, I believe there's a rebel movement among some of them. Find a place for us to go that's safe and send a message to us so Palpatine wont be able to find the survivors." Mace looked between Anakin and Obi-Wan, confused.

"What does Senator Amidala have to do with this?" Mace said. Anakin clenched his jaw and looked down. Obi-Wan sighed.

"It seems that the relationship the Council has suspected is ture. Anakin and Padme are married and expecting a child," Obi-Wan said. Mace nodded. With that, they turned and fought their way through the clones towards their own tasks.


	4. Chapter 4

"Padme!" Anakin called as he burst into her apartment. There was no answer. "Padme!" he called again, searching for her through the force. Before he could call again, he saw her mirrored ship landing outside her apartment.

"Anakin!" she said, walking down the ramp. He hugged her tightly, "Padme, I was so worried."

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why is there smoke coming off of the Jedi Temple?"

Anakin took a deep breath, "We need to get out of here, find somewhere we can hide. Palpatine is a Sith lord, he fooled all of us. He tried to get me to become a Sith, he claimed he had the power to save you from what I've been dreaming."

"So, then he knows about us? About the baby?" Padme said, putting a protective hand on her stomach.

"Yes. He's been planning it all along, he's turned the clones against us. It's likely that Obi-Wan, Mace and myself are the only Jedi left."

"Then where are they?"

"It's a long story, one that we don't have time for because we need to leave. Can you think of anywhere we'd be safe?"

"Well, I suppose you could go to Alderaan. Bail would protect you, at least for a while," Padme said. Anakin noticed the slight tone of guilt in her voice.

"What about you? You need to come with, Padme. He'll kill you," Anakin said frantically, practically shaking her.

"Anakin, I can't just leave. I need to speak for Naboo in the senate, who knows what he could do to it with no representation in the senate? I need to stay."

"Padme, he knows about us. He'll kill you, use you as bait to get me to come back. If he uses you as bait you know it would work, Padme, I can't leave you, especially because you're about eight months pregnant."

"We'll discuss this later," she said sharply. "Let's focus on getting you and the other Jedi off this planet. I think Alderaan may be the safest place. Tell Obi-Wan." Anakin opened his mouth to say something to her, but knew that there was nothing he could say to change her mind, at least not until the others were here. Maybe they could all talk some sense into her. He turned on his comlink, "Obi-Wan, this is Anakin do you copy?"

"Anakin, I just sent out a distress call urging any surviving Jedi to stay away from here. Hopefully it will work," the slightly distant voice sounding of Obi-Wan said.

"Good. Padme suggested we, at least for now, go to Alderaan and work things out with Bail Organa."

"How are we going to get out of Coruscant? If Palpatine knows about you and Padme, the second he sees her ship he'll shoot it down, or at least track it. I doubt he's watching Coruscant, but I'm sure he has some sort of blockade positioned outside of Coruscant."

"Captain Typho!" Padme said suddenly.

"What was that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Captain Typho. He'll help you. He'd be able to get you a ship easily. Take my ship to a close planet or moon, meet Typho there, switch ships and Palpatine wont recognize you, at least for a little while." Padme said quickly.

"Okay, I'll bring the other Jedi to your apartment. Be ready to go incase we bring along some unexpected friends." Obi-Wan said.

"May the force be with you, Master," Anakin said, turning off the comlink.

"I'll call him now," she said. Anakin sat on the couch, thinking.

"_She still might die, your dreams haven't been wrong before. If she stays, he'll kill her. But if she goes with you, how do you know that when and if the Order is restored, they'll kick you out for being with her?"_ The voice said. "_They'll take your child, train him. Force him into being Jedi and turn him into their pawn, their golden boy, just as they did with you."_

"Okay, I was able to reach him," Padme said, pulling Anakin away from his thoughts. "Said to go to Centax-3, he'll have a ship waiting. Are you alright?"

"Padme, you're being ridiculous," he said angrily. "You can't stay here. If you do, he'll kill you, you know that. Maybe he'll wait for you to have the baby so he can take him and turn him into a Sith." Padme crossed her arms and looked away from Anakin. She focused her gaze to the rushing traffic outside of her window. So many of them had no idea what had just happened to the world they lived in, and she was willing to bet that they wouldn't care either way.

"Padme, listen to me," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "You've always been the sensible one in this relationship, you've always had your head on your shoulders and I love that about you. I am not leaving if you are staying here, because he'll kill you. He might as well kill me too, Padme, because I can't live without you. Please." Padme looked at him and he noticed that she was crying. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking from her sobs. He sat next to her and put his arm around her.

"It's all over," she said quietly, picking her head up. "Everything we worked for, gone. The Republic, the Order, it's all gone. What are we going to do? The lives I wanted for our children are destroyed. I wanted them to have everything, to be whatever they wanted. Now look what they will have. Living in fear from Palpatine, constantly hiding." She put her head on his shoulder.

"Did you say children?" he asked quietly. She looked down at her hands, which were folded across her lap, "I found out a few weeks ago, we're having twins. I didn't want to stress you out even more, so I didn't tell you. I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her head, "That's wonderful," he whispered. "Padme, I know that this is awful and I know that it's going to take a lot of work to get things back to normal. But you know what? I'm almost relieved. Now we can be together. Truly be together, no more hiding, no more lying. Maybe we can fix it, put it back together but make it better. Change the Order so they wouldn't forbid our love." Padme got up and wiped the tears off of her cheeks, "I hope so," She said simply. "I'll gather our things." She walked into their bedroom and took out a large suitcase.

"Wait," he said, following behind her. "Are you coming, then?" She smiled weakly at him, "After over ten years, it doesn't look like I'm going to get rid of you that easy."

* * *

A few minutes passed before the Jedi could reach the apartment. They had worried looks on their faces, each with their hoods up. Anakin noticed that they had managed to find two more survivors. Yoda was there, his small frame leaning on his knotted cane and, "Ashoka!" Anakin said, quickly hugging his old Padawan.

"It appears that we're the only Jedi on Coruscant who were left alive. I can only hope that that are more," Mace said.

"I spoke to Captain Typho, he told us to take my ship to Centax-3. There shouldn't be any of Palpatine's ships stationed so close. There, we will board his plane and go to Alderaan. I was one of a small group of senators forming an, I suppose you could say rebel alliance against Palpatine. Hopefully we can figure something out," Padme said.

"Find us, Palpatine will. A better hiding place, we must find," Yoda said as he hobbled over to Padme's large ship. No one said anything and after a few moments of standing around, they followed Yoda on to the ship.

"Excuse me, but where are we going?" asked C-3PO. "Artoo is a bit wary of flying, as you know." Anakin smiled, as Artoo had never seemed too frightened on their many flights together. Perhaps 3PO's perception mirrored his own feelings.

"You two need to get on the ship. We're going to Alderaan, come on," Anakin said, walking up the ramp. He saw that Padme was perched on one of the small silver chairs with a pained look on her face, her hands on her stomach.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, slipping into the seat next to her.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay. Just had a little stomach pain, it went away," she said. "I'm fine, really," she added after seeing the concerned look on his face.

"Master, can I fly the ship?" Ashoka asked, already sitting at the controls.

"As long as you don't crash. Remember, don't draw any attention to us. Just fly to Centax-3, nothing fancy," Anakin said. Padme jumped a little and put her hands on her stomach. He took her hand, "Padme you don't look good. Are you going into labor?" She shook her head and took a deep breath, "No, no. It's too early, I'm fine. Really, this sometimes happens, my doctor said it would be fine. Don't worry about it."

"Everything alright?" Obi-Wan asked, taking a seat on the other side of Padme.

"She's not feeling well, I think when we get to Alderaan we should go to a doctor," Anakin said before Padme had the chance to make an excuse.

"Approaching Centax-3," Ashoka said. The ship set down lightly.

"There, I see Typho," Padme said, pointing to a spot outside the window. They got off the plane, Anakin carrying Padme's bags.

"I'm so glad to see you're alright," Captain Typho said, hugging Padme. Anakin glared at him. He had always sensed Typho's feelings for his wife, feelings she always seemed oblivious to.

"We should get going," Anakin said briskly.

"Right," Typho said, "This is the Millennium Falcon." He pointed to the large, circular ship behind him. Anakin scoffed, "That piece of junk? I don't think even I can fly that. Look at it. How do you expect us to run from Palpatine in this?" Typho grimaced at him,

"This is a great ship. It's fast, reliable. Plus, lots of places for you Jedi to hide incase Palpatine does search it." Anakin started to say something else, but Padme jumped in, "I'm sure it will work fine. Thank you, we're all very grateful." She stressed the last words and glared at Anakin, whose face changed solemn at his wife's look.

"Okay, well, this has been fun but let's get out of here," Obi-Wan said, climbing aboard the ship.


	5. Chapter 5

"Plan of action, we must have," Yoda said, climbing into a chair by Anakin and Obi-Wan. Mace and Ashoka took seats around them.

"I believe Palpatine-Well, Sidious, I suppose-will continue to search for Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "He'll either try to turn him to the dark side or kill him, he knows how powerful he is." Mace nodded, "Yes, or I suspect he may try to take Anakin and Padme's baby and turn him into a Sith." Ashoka looked between Anakin and Padme, confused, "Wait, you two are having a baby?" Anakin nodded. Ashoka gaped at them in disbelief, "How?" Anakin looked at Padme, "Well, I suppose this needed to be explained at some point, the only person who knows all of it is Obi-Wan," he took a deep breath. "Before the Battle of Geonosis, the Council assigned me to be Padme's body guard because of the assassination attempts. We had met ten years before, and I admit I had fallen for her. We went to the lake country in Naboo and fell in love. After the Battle of Geonosis, we got married. And now, she's pregnant. I'm sorry, masters. I know I went against the Order." Anakin looked at Typho, whose jaw seemed to have tightened at this story.

"Suspect this, I did. Complicate things, this does. Build up a rebel force, I propose," Yoda said. Mace nodded, "Yes, we can't just hide. I think we need to build up a rebel force, find more Jedi to help and then we can take on Palpatine."

"No," Anakin said. "That will take years. Like Obi-Wan said, he won't stop until he finds me. Not just me, all of us. Some of the most famous and powerful Jedi are sitting in this room and I bet he knows that none of us are dead. I think we need to strike against him before he can get his act together. I'm the supposed chosen one, I'm supposed to kill him."

"Too headstrong, you are still," Yoda said sharply.

"Anakin, Sidious will surround himself with protectors. He's planned this all along; it will take much more than just dropping in to kill him. Plus, there is never only one Sith. He has an apprentice, but who?" Mace said. Anakin was about to retort, but Obi-Wan glared at him and shook his head. He knew that now was not the time. Yoda and Mace had never listened to him before, so why should they now?

"_They still think that you're dangerous," _the voice started. _"Too uncontrollable, there's no saying you wont still fall to the Sith. You went against them already, getting married. Why should they listen to you?" _Anakin shut the voice out and crossed his arms, sinking slightly down in his seat like a child. He saw Padme looking at him and he rolled his eyes. She smiled a little and then went back to her serious countenance, as she usually did when discussing something.

"Excuse me, masters, but I feel that we should discuss this more when we're among the other senators. Bail said that he would assemble the senators who have formed the rebel movement," Padme said. "We'll be able to have a better discussion about this then, especially because many of them will still be in contact with Palpatine."  
"I agree with Senator Amidala. We won't get far discussing this here," Obi-Wan said. Mace began to say something and Anakin groaned loudly, immediately receiving a glare from both Obi-Wan and Padme.

"Well then. I suppose this discussion can wait," Mace said. He, Yoda and Typho got up from their seats and coolly exited the room. The door made a dramatic whooshing sound as it shut behind them.

"How old are you?" Padme said to Anakin, an amused look on her face.

"What?" He laughed, "I'm so tired of them. The Jedi Order is basically destroyed and they're still sticking to the codes, trying to rebuild it before they deal with the thing that killed it."

"Anakin, sometimes people have trouble letting go. The Order is all they know," Obi-Wan said. _Always the rational one_, Anakin thought as he looked at all the knobs and buttons that the control center on the Falcon.

"You're awfully quiet," Anakin said, swiveling in his chair to face Ashoka. She shrugged, "Yeah. Just tired I guess." He noticed that she was trying hard to avoid his gaze, something was wrong. He liked to think that he knew his former apprentice pretty well, but he had no idea what could be bothering her.

"Hey, come on, tell me," he said, leaning in a little. She glanced quickly at Padme, "It's nothing. Really," Ashoka said, stressing the last word.

"I think I'm going to go lay down," Padme said, putting a hand on her stomach. She leaned down to kiss Anakin and then quickly left the room. Anakin noticed the change of body language in Ashoka. She uncrossed her arms and put a more pleasant look on her face, messing with the buttons on the controls.

"So, something to do with Padme?" Anakin said. Ashoka wiped her face, "She's the reason he tried to pull you to the darkside." Anakin gritted his teeth, "How did you hear about that?"

"I don't know, around. I knew you were getting closer and closer to Palpatine and I heard Mace and Obi-Wan talking about how you were nearly a Sith and he tried to lure you in by using her," Ashoka spat. Anakin ran his hands through his hair, nearly pulling on the golden strands.

"She's the reason I didn't go to the darkside," Anakin said quietly.

"Ashoka, you should not be blaming anyone in this situation, least of all Padme," Obi-Wan said. "She was not the reason Palpatine was able to use her as bait for Anakin, it was because of his attachment to her."

"Oh come on," Anakin began angrily.

"Anakin, I'm not blaming her or you at all. I am good friends with her and you. Your marriage does not bother me. All I am trying to explain is that Palpatine manipulated you, and unfortunately he used your love for her to do that," Obi-Wan said calmly. They were silent again for some time. Obi-Wan stood up to examine a flashing knob on the wall. He placed his hand over his mouth as if in deep thought.

"Master, what would you have done if you had known about Padme and me before all of this?" Anakin said. Obi-Wan didn't take his eyes off the knob.

"I would not have told the council, but I would not have encouraged it," Obi-Wan said dismissively. "What does this do?" he gestured at the knob.  
"I have no idea. But, you wouldn't have necessarily made me stop my relationship with her?" Anakin said, as he watched Obi-Wan begin to touch the knob, "Do you want to touch something which has an uncertain use?" he added.

"No, sorry," Obi-Wan said, shaken from his trance. "Anakin, I've known you for over ten years. I know you well enough to know that you would not end a relationship with her no matter how much I lectured. I also care about you enough not to ruin your prospects as a Jedi by telling the Council. Why do you ask?" He said, sinking back into his seat. Anakin shrugged, "When I told you, you seemed like you were fine with it. I wasn't really expecting that." Before Obi-Wan could answer, C-3PO burst into the room.

"Oh, Master Ani, how much longer will we be on this wretched ship? Artoo is getting quite afraid."  
"Don't worry, 3PO, it should only be a few more hours," Anakin said, checking the controls. "Uh oh," he said quietly.

"Uh oh? What "uh oh?" Obi-Wan asked with worry creeping into his voice. Anakin smiled inwardly, his old master had always hated flying.

"The great Captain Typho gave us this ship without enough fuel," Anakin said.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Ashoka asked. Anakin laughed, "No, I don't hate him. Big strong bodyguard like him doesn't need enemies. Oh Typho," Anakin called, walking out of the control room. He found Typho sitting in a small room talking to Padme. _Of course. _He thought.

"Everything alright?" Typho asked. Anakin noted how he moved a little further from Padme upon seeing him.

"The ship is almost out of fuel. There's no way we're going to make it to Alderaan," Anakin said curtly.

"Alright, I'll go check on it," Typho said, walking to the control room. Padme sighed, "I can't believe it."

"Yeah, that he'd give us a ship with so little fuel, I can't believe it either," Anakin said angrily.

"No, I can't believe you. He saved our lives. He helped us when he knew he could be killed for it. You're being impossible."

"He only saved us because it meant saving you," Anakin retorted.

"So what if it did? He's my friend; he's been my bodyguard since I was queen. I trust him," she said, standing up.

"He's in love with you, he's trying to steal you from me," Anakin said, moving closer to her. She looked at him and laughed, "First, steal me from you? As if I'm some object." Anakin made to apologize but she held up a hand, "I can't believe you're so bothered by this. Typho's been a good friend to both of us. Anakin," she said, seeing the still hurt look on his face. She put her arms around his neck. "You shouldn't worry about anyone, especially not him. He's like a father to me, really." She kissed him, "Now, be nice. Let's go see what's going on," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the control room.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer-All characters belong to George. Only the story is mine.

* * *

"We'll be able to make it to Naboo, where we can refuel and get to Alderaan," Typho said, pointing to a small, flashing radar system. Padme lit up, "Naboo?" she said excitedly, looking at Anakin.

"I'm not sure if it would be such a good idea for you to be out in Naboo, milady," Mace said.

"Yes, I agree. Palpatine is bound to be searching for you there," Typho said. Padme crossed her arms, a defiant look on her face.

"If they are searching for me in Naboo, they are going to go after my family. I need to make sure they're all right." The others said nothing, knowing it was no use to argue.

* * *

"I'm going to try to see what's going on. I want to know if Palpatine has been trying to cover anything up, or if anyone even knows what happened. Keep your comlinks at hand incase anyone runs into any trouble," Mace said sternly, mostly to Anakin, who rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Okay, okay, let's go," Padme said, grabbing Anakin by the arm.

"Obi-Wan, would you like to come along?" Padme asked as they passed by him in the hallway.

"Well, I know you're going to visit your family, I wouldn't want to impose," Obi-Wan said.

"No, of course not. I'd love for you to meet them. Plus, I'm sure there'd be no harm in two Jedi escorting me through Naboo," she said. "_And also, it may provide a distraction for the news I have to share with them," _she thought.

"Well, alright," Obi-Wan said. Artoo tweeted behind them, "Artoo, stay with the ship," Anakin said, "You're too easy to recognize." Artoo omitted a low-pitched beep and rolled back into the ship. It wasn't a long walk to Padme's parent's house. Anakin listened absently to Padme as she chattered to him and Obi-Wan about the colorful shops and houses they passed. He didn't really hear her, he was too busy looking around for Palpatine. He knew that it was too much of a risk to come here. Something was too easy about their escape. Why hadn't Palpatine tracked them down yet?

"Ani," Padme said. He was squinting at the sky, still not responding. "Anakin," she said again.

"Hm, oh sorry," he said, giving Obi-Wan a quick worried glance. Obi-Wan returned the same look; they both had their mind on Palpatine.

"Well we're here, I said that earlier and you didn't answer," she said. He frowned at her, still lost in his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I know this is foolish. I just have to make sure they're okay. I also want them to know about my pregnancy and us. If anything happens to me," she broke off at the look on Anakin's face. She sighed and started walking towards the brightly colored house. He followed closely and put his arm around her waist. As they reached the oak colored door, Anakin reached out in the force to see if there were any disturbances. Everything seemed fine. The door slid open and a short man with dark, mousey hair answered.

"Padme?" he said in disbelief. Padme nodded and he pulled her into a tight hug, both with tears in their eyes.

"Dad," Padme said, wiping away a tear. "This is Anakin, I think you remember him," she said, squeezing Anakin's arm. "And this is my good friend Obi-Wan."

"Yes, yes of course. Jedi, right?" Ruwee said, shaking Anakin's gloved mechanical hand and then shaking Obi-Wan's. Anakin winced, he hated when people touched his hand. Though he couldn't physically feel anything, it always made him feel like he was part machine.

"Yes, nice to see you again, sir," Anakin mumbled awkwardly.

"Good to meet you," Obi-Wan said.

"Is mom home?" Padme asked and Ruwee led them into the spacious living room.

"Padme!" A dark haired woman exclaimed before Ruwee could answer. Jobal hugged Padme just as her husband had, "I'm so glad…are you pregnant?" Jobal asked after their hug. Padme looked up at Anakin and smiled, "Yes, well, I have a few things to tell you." Padme took Anakin's hand and sat down on the couch as her mother sat next to her and her father sat in an adjacent chair.

"But first," Padme said. "This is Anakin, I'm not sure if you remember him."

"Of course I do," Jobal said, hugging Anakin as well.

"And this is Obi-Wan, he's a good friend of mine and Anakin's old Jedi master. This is my mother, Jobal." Obi-Wan shook Jobal's hand and then took a seat next to the already sitting Anakin.

"There are some things that I haven't been completely honest about of late," Padme smiled. "Anakin and I are married. We have been for about three years, it happened shortly after we visited you before the Clone Wars started. A few months ago I found out I was pregnant. I'm not sure what you've heard about the Jedi on Coruscant, but Palpatine killed them, all of them. He's a Sith lord and that's why we're now sort of in hiding." When she finished she slightly shrugged, not knowing what else to say. Her parents were speechless, both staring at her.

"Well, I suppose welcome to the family then, Anakin," Jobal said sincerely, though she was rather blustered.

"Thank you um," Anakin said, not knowing what to call her.

"Mom," Jobal said. "Oh, well, if you are alright with that." Anakin nodded and smiled.

"And you may call me dad," Ruwee said, standing up to shake Anakin's hand again.

"It's funny you were to come right now, Sola and her family were about to come over. I'll get drinks," Jobal said quickly, walking out. Though she had been very kind, Anakin could sense that she was slightly angry. Obi-Wan began laughing beside him.

"Something funny?" Anakin whispered.

"Nope, everything's fine here, _son," _Obi-Wan said, trying to contain himself. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Hold on, I'm going to go talk to her," Padme said quietly to Anakin. "Hey dad, how about you show Obi-Wan and Anakin all of those old manuscripts you have," she said, struggling to think of something they could do. Padme walked into the kitchen. It was all naturally lit, with windows practically covering the light yellow walls. Jobal was rather violently opening a few bottles.

"Mom, you want some help?" Padme said politely, picking up one of the cold bottles.

"No, no," Jobal said, hiding her tears. "You should be sitting." Padme frowned and sat down at the small table. She remembered making it with Sola, gluing together old, colorful pieces of glass to create a picture. She remembered that they mostly only had blue and yellow tiles, so they made a sky and sun, throwing in other pieces of color here and there.

"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said, tracing the mosaic sun with her fingertip. Jobal sighed and put down the bottles, taking a seat by her daughter.

"I'm not angry at you," she said slowly. "I'm angry that you felt you had to keep this from us. He obviously makes you so happy, I see the way you look at each other. Why wouldn't you share that with your own parents?" Padme looked sadly at her, searching for the right words, "We couldn't tell anyone. The Order would have expelled him. We were planning on telling you, but we were just waiting a little while," she said apologetically. Jobal patted her daughter's laced hands, "I'm very happy for you." Padme half smiled. They sat for a while, looking out the window.

"Maybe we should go out and check on the men. Surely they're all bored," Jobal said. Padme laughed, imagining Obi-Wan and Anakin's reactions to her father's ancient manuscripts.

"Here you go. I'm sorry, I didn't ask you what you wanted," Jobal said to Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"Nothing for me," Anakin said.

"Just water, thank you," Obi-Wan said.

"I'll get it," Ruwee said, following his wife back into the kitchen.

"And thank you for the manuscript suggestion," Anakin said jokingly.

"Hey I thought it would be a good way for the all of you to bond," she said, smiling cheekily. They heard the door whoosh open, "Padme!" Padme sprang up and hugged what looked like a younger Jobal.

"Hey sis," Padme said. Sola gasped, "Oh gods you're pregnant! Wont take me many tries to guess the father," Sola said, smiling wryly at Anakin. "Hello again young Jedi knight," she pulled him into a hug.

"And who pray tell is this?" Sola asked, her eyes sliding over Obi-Wan.

"Oh, this is my friend Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, my sister Sola, and her husband, Darred" Padme said as Darred walked into the room.

"A Jedi also, I presume," Sola said, taking Obi-Wan's hand.

"Aunt Padme!" two little girls squeaked as they came into the room. Padme bent down with some difficulty to hug them both.

"Oh my you two have gotten big," she said. Anakin helped her up as she attempted to introduce him, "Girls, this is my husband Anakin. You met him a few years ago but you probably don't remember. And this is Obi-Wan. This is Ryoo and Pooja."

"Very good to see both of you again," he said. They shyly smiled at him and then ran upstairs giggling.

"I didn't know you were married," Darred said to Padme.

"Pregnant, too," Sola said before Padme had a chance to explain.

"It's a rather long story," Padme said.

"I'll tell you about it later," Sola said, interrupting Padme again. Ruwee and Jobal came back into the room, "We should get dinner started," Jobal announced, noticing the amount of people.

"Well, I'm sorry but we can't stay," Padme said, taking Anakin's non-mechanical hand. She paused for a minute, thinking of her words carefully. "The reason I wanted to come here was to warn you. It is very likely that Palpatine will hunt you down and kill you, at least use you as bait. You need to leave Naboo and hide, at least for a little while." Padme's family exchanged skeptical looks.

"Why would he want to use us as bait, or kill us?" Darred asked.

"It's my fault," Anakin said, jumping in. "I brought all of this on Padme, and I guess now you. I had been growing closer and closer to Palpatine and he earned my trust. A few days ago, he revealed to me that he was a Sith and tried to convince me to join him. I obviously refused. Before I could warn the Jedi council, he attacked the Temple and killed any Jedi he could find. We believe he also commanded the clone army to turn on their Jedi generals. In any case, he won't stop until I join him or kill him. He'll do anything, and he knows about Padme and me." They stood in silence for a few minutes.

"Please," Padme said.

"Yes, I would not advise any of you to stay for much longer," Obi-Wan said. "Padme is loved by her people, so the emperor will need to step lightly, but I can assure you that he is searching for her. A good way to find her is to capture you, he knows she'll reach out to her family."

"Then wouldn't it be safer here, where our neighbors and friends can watch and see what he's doing?" Sola asked. Padme shook her head and took her sister by the shoulders, "Sola, you must see. He will silence dozens, hundreds-a whole population to get what he wants. It doesn't matter to him, he feels he is invincible and he very nearly is. Please leave and go into hiding. Go to Tatooine, the outer rim, anywhere."

"Why can't we go with you?" Jobal asked.

"Because, we don't know that where we are going is safe. It's easier with less people, incase we need to run we easily can," Padme said, looking at her family's sad faces.

"As much as it hurts me to leave, I cannot lead you all into a trap."

"We will go," Ruwee said, looking at his wife. "To Chommell, I think."

"I suppose we can go there as well," Sola agreed. Padme breathed a sigh of relief, "I will try to stay in contact, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. We're going to see Bail Organa on Alderaan, who began a rebel movement among the senators."

"We should be going," Anakin said quietly. Padme looked at her mother. She looked crushed, her eyes filling up with tears again.

"Will we ever see you again?" She asked. Padme closed her eyes for a minute; trying to think of the last time she stayed more than a few days in the house. It had been years; the first time Anakin met her parents. It had been a much simpler time, one where she was just a senator and he was just a Jedi.

"Yes, I know we will," Padme lied, smiling brightly. No one said anything else except goodbye, each hugging Padme and shaking Anakin and Obi-Wan's hands. The three walked back silently.

"Am I going to see them again?" Padme wondered aloud, thinking of her mother's last question. They continued walking, no one responded to her for a long time.

"What does your heart tell you?" Anakin asked, taking her hand in his.

"I suppose we will," she said gloomily.

"Then you will. That's what my mother told me when I left to become a Jedi, it was the last thing she said to me before I found her in the camp," Anakin said, his voice trailing off. They were getting closer to where the Falcon was sitting. They could see the silver mass of the ship in the distance, amidst the bright green grass and trees. Suddenly, something was wrong. He was being watched he could feel it on the back of his neck. Anakin whipped around, igniting his blue lighsaber just in time to meet a glowing red one that would have taken off his head.


	7. Chapter 7

All characters belong to George, only the story is mine.

* * *

Anakin was an inch away from the face of Asajj Ventress. Her two red lightsabers were so close to his face he could feel the heat radiating off of them. She was a tall and thin woman with tattoos in place of hair on her head baldhead. Her yellow eyes bore into him with hate and her black painted mouth was twisted into a snarl. Both Obi-Wan and Anakin knew her well.

"Padme, go to the ship, tell them to take off," Anakin said as he pushed his attacker away. Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber as well and they began circling the assailant. "Ventress," Anakin hissed. Raising his lightsaber over his head, ready to attack.

"What are you doing here, Asajj?" Obi-Wan said, leaning over slightly and bending his knees to get into a defensive position. Asajj laughed, baring her menacing teeth, "I was sent here to kill you and take the girl. She'll be a pretty little slave to Sidious." Anakin clumsily lunged at her and was forced backward, falling on his back. Asajj laughed again. There was no joy in this laugh, only pain and cruelty.

"Still as foolish as the first time I fought you, Skywalker," She said. Anakin got back on his feet and began circling her again, "This time you wont get away." They both lunged at her, blades flying fiercely. She was nearly a match for both of them together and had perfect form, though she was wielding two lightsabers. They broke away from her and both pushed her back through the force. Their combined power sent her flying to hit a nearby tree. She was winded and temporarily couldn't see anything. She could hear a ship flying overhead, and before she knew what happened the two Jedi had jumped into the circular ship.

Anakin and Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, panting. Padme hugged Anakin, "Are you okay? Who was she?"

"I believe she was the Sith apprentice we were wondering about. Her name is Asajj Ventress, I've fought her before," Anakin said, clutching the stitch in his side.

"How did she find us so quickly?" Mace asked. Yoda's ears drooped slightly, "Too predictable, we are. Expected, coming to Naboo was."

"Then what of Alderaan? What if we're being tracked?" Ashoka asked.

"I feel that we will be safer on Alderaan than anywhere else at this point. The queen and Bail can protect us. If danger is present, they will help hide us and help us escape," Padme said strongly. Ashoka glared at Padme but said nothing. Padme backed off; surprised at the look she had just received.

"I agree with Padme," Obi-Wan said gently, trying not to hurt the already sensitive Ashoka's feelings. "We will get farther on land with people who support us than wandering around in space."

"Then trust Organa, we must," Yoda said, exiting the room. Mace followed him and then Ashoka. Anakin noticed that Padme sank into a chair, her breath catching in her throat.

"Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling down beside her. She nodded but didn't say anything, putting a hand on her stomach. Obi-Wan knelt next to her as well, "Padme?" She swallowed hard, "Yes. I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. Anakin felt through the force to the babies. Nothing seemed wrong.

"Really, I'm okay," she said stubbornly. "Just a stomach ache, it went away."

"You need to get to a hospital," Obi-Wan said. "Perhaps we can stop at a nearby planet with medical care."

"No," Padme said aggressively. "We need to get to Alderaan. There, I suppose I can go to a doctor but I don't need to now. I'll go lie down." She got up slowly and with help from Anakin. They watched her leave, "She's hiding something," Obi-Wan said. Anakin nodded.

"How many months pregnant is she?" Obi-Wan asked.

"About eight, so it doesn't take much to guess what she's hiding." Anakin looked down, trying not to show the worry in his face to Obi-Wan.

"Is she as nervous as you are?" Obi-Wan said.

"I'm not nervous," Anakin lied. Obi-Wan had always known Anakin's feelings, even when he wasn't showing them. Obi-Wan clapped him on the back, "Alderaan is close. It should only be another half hour or so." Anakin nodded, "I'm going to go check on her." He walked down the long, gray hallway that was identical to every other room. He wasn't sure where Padme was, he actually wasn't even aware that there were beds. He finally found her curled up on a large seat resembling a couch. She was looking out the window, absently playing with the japor snippet necklace she wore. He sat down next to her silently and put his arms around her.

"Are you worried about them?" He asked.

"Who?"

"Your family." She looked at him for a minute. Her brown eyes reflected no fear.

"No. They are strong; I know they will be okay. I am worried for my people, well, the people of Naboo. With me gone in the senate Palpatine will no doubt place a puppet in my stead. Someone who will bow to his will. Naboo will be destroyed," She said. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest.

"All of this is going to get fixed, I promise you. I'll kill him myself," Anakin said, kissing the top of her head. He felt her wince and she put a hand on her stomach again.

"Padme, you need to get to a doctor. I think you're going into labor."

She sighed, "I know. But it really can wait until Alderaan. It doesn't hurt that badly." He rolled his eyes but said nothing. He knew that there was no changing his wife's mind once it had been made.

"Is Ashoka alright? She seems upset about something," Padme asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"I think she's angry with me. She told me that she doesn't like you because she feels that you were the reason Palpatine almost got me to go to the dark side," Anakin shrugged. Padme started laughing, smiling up at him, "You're so naïve sometimes." He smiled at her, amused at her sudden change of countenance, "What do you mean?"

"I think she's maybe a little jealous," Padme said, putting her head back onto his chest. Anakin scoffed, "Come on. She's a Jedi and I'm like a brother to her."

"I know. But even if she only thinks of you as a brother, she can still be jealous. It's how girls work."

"That's insane," he said, laughing at her.

"It's true. She's probably worried you wont pay attention to her now. Talk to her." Anakin shook his head and started to answer her, but was interrupted by C-3PO.

"Oh, Master Ani. They told me to tell you that we are approaching Alderaan."

"Thank you, 3PO. Let's go," he said to Padme, taking her hand.

* * *

"Padme, it is wonderful to see you alive. There were rumors of your death," Breha Organa said, hugging Padme.

"We all want to thank you for your help, and we will in great length later but do you have a doctor? Padme may be going into labor," Anakin said quickly.

"It's no rush," Padme added.  
"Oh of course. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were pregnant," Breha said apologetically, taking Padme by the arm. "I have a private doctor who is trained in childbirth. I trust him completely and am sure that he will tell no one of this," Breha said to Padme as they left through a large door. Anakin followed closely behind.

"Discuss, we must," Yoda said, climbing into a small armchair.

"How did this happen?" Bail asked as the Jedi all took seats.

"Palpatine revealed to Anakin that he was a Sith lord and attempted to force him into joining him. As he came to warn us, Palpatine attacked the Temple with clone troops. Their main objective was to kill Jedi, and we believe that the clones were also ordered to turn on their Jedi generals. I fear that we may be the only Jedi left," Mace said.

"So he has been planning this," Bail said, sinking into a chair. "We should have known."

"What has he done in the senate?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He has declared himself emperor and created the Galactic Empire, with the promise of preserving our most important clauses and leading us away from this evil," Bail said bitterly.

"How could the senate allow this?" Ashoka asked.

"The senate approved it," Bail spat. "He also said that the Jedi tried to kill him, that they are rebels. In order to earn sympathy and create more hatred for the Jedi, he said that they kidnapped Senator Amidala."

"What if she were to come out?" Ashoka asked.

"Suicide, it would be," Yoda said. "In manipulating things, Palpatine is an expert."

"I agree. He would find a way to twist it, say that she married a Jedi and lied to everyone. He would find a way to make her the villain, and then he would find her," Mace said.

"Yes, Palpatine has become a dictator. He will kill anyone who goes against him," Bail said.

"I fear that he will stop at nothing to find Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "He knows the prophecy and believes, as many do, that Anakin will bring balance to the force. He will destroy Anakin before Anakin can destroy him. Palpatine also has an apprentice-Asajj Ventress. She found us on Naboo. Anakin and I bested her but did not kill her. She was a near match to both of us. I fear that her defeat will only make her stronger, more vengeful."

"But is Anakin truly the one who is meant to bring balance to the force?" Mace asked. He had never truly believed that was the chosen one. Yes, the boy had great power but he did not know how to wield it without causing destruction. He had gone against the Order, and because of his attachment to Padme he had almost become a Sith.

"I believe he is," Obi-Wan said defensively.

"Yes, who would the chosen one be if not Anakin?" Ashoka said. Mace had no answer.

"How will Anakin defeat him, the question becomes. Surround himself with protectors, he will. Defeat Ventress, Skywalker must first," Yoda said.

"Not to mention, it will take an army to defeat him. Palpatine is not stupid enough to only leave Ventress to take over his job. He probably has dozens of people in line, at least one more Sith. It would take another war," Bail said.

"Then we need to build up rebel troops," Obi-Wan said. "Look for more Jedi, I'm sure others survived. It's only a matter of time until Palpatine shows his true colors and makes people angry. Palpatine has made many enemies, we can search for people who have gone against him before."

"Yes, I agree with Obi-Wan. I started a rebel group with some senators, they may be able to recruit people for our cause," Bail said.

* * *

Anakin looked down at his infant son who was wrapped in a blue blanket. He could already feel the force in the small child. He looked at Padme, who was also looking down at the pink clad Leia who was sleeping in her arms. Breha had provided a small blue crib for the two of them and Padme had an entire suitcase filled with baby clothes. As he thought of his family, he felt relieved. His vision had been wrong-Padme was still alive. Waves of relief were still washing over him as he thought of what the alternative may have been.

"_True, she's not dead now, but what about Palpatine? Now he has three people to use as leverage against you," _The voice said. _"You heard what Asajj said, he plans on using her as a slave. Someone who has such a close relationship with the one he's hunting and is as beautiful as Padme will not last long."_

"I wish my parents were here," she said, gently rocking the small baby.

"I know. I wish my mom was here," he said, sitting down in the seat beside the bed.

"Oh Ani," Padme said when she saw the sad look on his face. "Are you happy?" He smiled, "Of course I am. They're beautiful. I just wish they could be living in a less turbulent world."

"Me too, I don't know what we're going to do. We can't keep living here."

Anakin nodded and looked down at Luke, not saying anything.

"We could go to Tatooine," Padme said slowly.

"No," he said firmly.

"Anakin," she started.

"No," he interrupted her, standing up and putting Luke in the crib. "Our children are not growing up in that Sith hole Tatooine," He yelled. She glared at him, visibly hurt.

"Anakin calm down. I'm just trying to figure this out," she said. He sank back into his seat, "I'm sorry. I just want more for my kids than the life I had." He took Leia from Padme and placed her next to her brother in the crib. There was a knock on the door and waved his fingers to slide the door open.

"How's it going?" Obi-Wan whispered.

"Obi-Wan," Padme said, smiling.

"Oh wow," Obi-Wan said, walking over to the crib. "What are their names?"

"Luke and Leia," Padme said, beaming.

"The force is strong with them," Obi-Wan said to Anakin, who nodded.

"I know. I want to check their midi-chlorian count. What's been going on with the others?" Anakin asked.

"Well, we've been discussing what to do about Palpatine. There was a small debate as to whether or not you were the chosen one, the overall consensus was that if you aren't, who is and we decided to create an army," Obi-Wan said. Anakin raised his eyebrows,

"Huh, well, glad Mace is still on to me. How are we going to assemble this army?"

"We're going to look for more Jedi and try to find people who hate Palpatine, target groups that have been against him in the past."

"Why can't we just go and fight him?" Anakin said, raising his voice a little. "This could take years, that's time that we might not have."

"Anakin, they just got to sleep," Padme said sharply.

"He will find us if we wait any longer," Anakin said, lowering his voice to a whisper. Palpatine knew that Padme was pregnant and Anakin suspected he could sense the birth of the twins. He would also bet that Palpatine at least suspected their power if he was not sure of it.

"We cannot just burst in on Palpatine and kill him if we intend to end this terror. He has people in line ready to take his place. It will take a war to end the regime he has started," Obi-Wan said. His tone was cold, Anakin wasn't thinking. If he continued this rash behavior, he could easily be killed no matter how powerful he was. His temper was always his weakness, and frankly it made Obi-Wan worried. His rash actions in the past lost him his right arm, what else could it cost him in the future?

"Padme, someone's here to see you," Breha said, entering the large white room. A thin woman with brown hair entered.

"Motee!" Padme exclaimed, jumping out of bed to hug her handmaiden. "I'm so glad you're alright. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time to tell you what was happening."

"It's okay, milady. I'm fine. As Senator Organa was leaving Coruscant he told me what was happening and bade me to go with him. I told Dorme as well." Padme nodded and frowned slightly. She hated to put others in danger for things that only involved her. It wasn't fair for her handmaidens to drop everything to hide from Palpatine.

"I hear there are two people I should meet," Motee said, gesturing to the crib.

"Oh yes," Padme said, leading Motee to the crib. "This is Luke and Leia," she said proudly.

"They're beautiful, congratulations," Motee said. She turned around to hug Anakin. They had always had a good relationship, especially because Motee was the only handmaiden Padme had told of her marriage.

"Good to see you. Padme, I'm going to see what's going on. I'll be back in a little while," Anakin said, hurriedly leaving the room with Obi-Wan.

* * *

Asajj bowed before the tall, hooded figure.

"I made contact with Skywalker and Kenobi on Naboo, my master," she said.

"Good. However, I take it you were not able to place a tracking device on their ship?" Darth Sidious hissed angrily. Asajj turned red and avoided his gaze, "I'm sorry. They pushed me back and were long gone before I was able to get a tracking device installed." Sidious abruptly turned around and walked quickly down a corridor. Asajj hesitated for a moment, not sure whether or not she was supposed to follow. She set off quickly behind him.

"We cannot allow another error like that again," Sidious said angrily, not looking at his apprentice. Asajj began to apologize but Sidious interrupted her, "I have no time for apologies. Fortunately, the Jedi will not hide forever. In the mean time, we will search for them. I have a few ideas as to where they may be. I have sensed the birth of the Skywalker offspring. The two are strong with the force and will make great Sith in the future. Even if they don't, they will make great bait and bartering tools to turn their father into a Sith lord." They reached the war room and Sidious suddenly stopped. He began staring at a large electronic model of the galaxy. He was immersed in it, paying no attention to Asajj. He stood just looking at it for about five minutes.  
"Master?" Asajj asked growing aware of the time they had been standing there. Palpatine smiled evilly, showing his yellow teeth.

"Yes. We will look on Alderaan for them," he said, turning to look at Asajj. "Take Aurra Sing and Boba Fett with you, but do not draw attention to yourself. If you find them, I will send a clone battalion to take over Alderaan. Look in the palace, Amidala has a relationship with Bail Organa." Asajj nodded, "It will be done, my master."


	8. Chapter 8

"Padme's right, we can't stay here," Anakin said as they got into the hallway.

"I agree. Palpatine knows of her friendship with Bail and no doubt suspects that this is where we fled," Obi-Wan said. They continued walking until they reached a large window surrounded by ornate curtains.

"You've barely mentioned your kids," Obi-Wan said as Anakin looked out the window. It displayed a large lake surrounded by trees. The sky was a bright orange because of the sun setting.

"I don't think it's quite hit me yet," he said quietly. "I don't know what I'm doing." A large bird flew over the lake, it's silhouette illuminated by the setting sun.  
"Perhaps you'll feel better when things have settled down more, after we've established a concrete plan."

"Where should we go?" Anakin asked, changing the subject again.

"What about Dantooine? Mace and I were talking about that earlier. There is an old Jedi Temple there and it's not too far from here." Anakin nodded but wasn't convinced, "But is hiding in place sight a good enough tactic for Palpatine?"

"There are many hiding spots and secret passages only Yoda has knowledge of. It would also be very easy to guard," Obi-Wan said. He noticed that the window opened up to a rather large balcony overlooking the lake. He turned the ornate handle to open the door, breathing in the cool air. It smelled like blood and smoke. Anakin could smell it too. It made him nervous, a feeling that was unfamiliar to the heroic Jedi Knight.

"_He'll take them, you'll see. If you had joined him you could protect them. Keep them from danger,"_ the voice said. He pushed it out of his head. No, if he had gone to the darkside he would have lost Padme, he knew that.

"Anakin," Mace said as he walked out onto the balcony. "Congratulations, I just saw your twins." Anakin smiled, slightly surprised at Mace's statement and thanked him.

"Anakin and I were discussing Dantooine," Obi-Wan said, leading them back inside the palace and closing the door.

"Yes. Though the abandoned Jedi Temple may be an obvious hiding place, I doubt Papatine would guess we would move there. Plus, Yoda tells of many underground rooms and secret areas," Mace said. They continued walking an entered a large high-ceilinged room. It was painted blue like the sky in the morning and had white trimming. Anakin guessed that this was a rather living room as it was decorated with ostentatiously carved furniture and shiny patterned couches that matched the walls. Ashoka was perched on a large blue and green chair, reading. Anakin walked over to her and sat down on an identical chair next to her.

"Hi," he said. She nodded at him. "You okay?" he asked after no further attempt at conversation.

"I'm fine. How's Padme?"

"She's great. We have twins," he said and smiled at her. His smile faded when she made no attempt to return it. "Luke and Leia," he mumbled quietly, growing a little impatient.

"So, how soon do you guys leave?" She asked curtly, not looking up form her book.  
"What do you mean?"

"You and Padme. I assume you guys are going to leave somewhere and live so your kids don't have to go through this," Ashoka said, closing her book.

"We're not leaving. I need to help defeat Palpatine, if not defeat him myself. Why would you think that?"  
"I don't know. I mean, now you have a family, a life outside of the Jedi," Ashoka said.  
"Ashoka, I've had a family for years. I was married to Padme about a year before I met you and it hasn't changed my attitude about the Jedi."

"You were married for a year before you met me?" She asked, taken aback.

"Yeah. We got married right after the Battle of Geonosis," he said. She sat back in her chair, "I didn't know that," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry I had to lie to you, but I didn't even tell Obi-Wan."

"I know, I'm sorry for how I was acting. I like Padme. I guess it was just too much, you know? The Jedi Council was just destroyed and the one person who I trusted the most was actually living a double life. It was hard to take in," Ashoka said.

"It's okay. So will you be nice to Padme again? She's kinda concerned about you. Will you come and meet my kids?" Anakin said, standing up.

* * *

Padme was sitting at a large table with five other senators. They were discussing with Mace, Yoda and Obi-Wan about what was to be done with the Rebel Alliance. She had left Luke and Leia with Anakin, who had taken quite well to parenting.

"It will be necessary to assemble support before we openly challenge the Emperor," Mon Mothma said.

"We cannot stand by and do nothing. Getting supporters could take years, we would have to sit through and watch monstrous atrocities committed by Palpatine and say nothing. Can we do that?" Giddean Dau said.

"You'll have to," Padme said emphatically. "You all need to keep your heads down. Don't draw attention to yourselves, go along with it until we are ready to strike. He has spies all over. Without senators, this alliance will fail."

"The Jedi will look for other survivors and those who are sympathetic to us," Mace said.

"Though we cannot search openly, we must also look for help," Bail added. "Any allies you may have who are uneasy of Palpatine. We're planning on setting up a base on Dantooine." The rest of the meeting went on drearily, basically just telling the other senators what Padme already knew. She had barely slept since the twins were born and hadn't had much time to think about the situation they were in. She and Anakin had decided to go to Naboo again and try to convince the Gungans to join the Alliance. She had already talked to Jar Jar Binks, who would help them. She hadn't worked out how they would take care of the twins in this time, as they could obviously not go to the underwater city. She also wanted to go to Chommell to find her parents, at least briefly. That one she hadn't run by Anakin yet. She knew that he didn't want to take any more chances being spotted, especially with Luke and Leia.

"Padme," Obi-Wan said, making her lose her train of thought.

"Oh, sorry," She said, flustered. The meeting had apparently ended and everyone was standing up except for her. She awkwardly sprang to her feet and said goodbye. She felt a pang when she watched the senators leave. She should be with them, not here. She sighed and walked to the Organa's guest room that was posing as her and Anakin's room.

"How was the meeting?" Anakin asked as she walked in. He was lying on the floor next to Luke who was sleeping on a blanket next to him.

"Where's Leia?" Padme asked. He pointed to the crib where Leia was asleep.

"She fell asleep a lot longer before him and I didn't want him to keep her up."

"I see," she said, lying down next to him. She looked at the ceiling. There were five crystal chandeliers that were clustered together on the purple ceiling.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her face.

"I just don't know what we're going to do."

"I thought we agreed to live on Dantooine with the other Jedi."

"Anakin," she said, turning on her side to look at him. "This could take years. Can we keep our family in hiding in Dantooine for years? They might be teenagers by the time we succeed at anything."

"Padme, you can't do this. I don't know what we're going to do either. At this point we can't plan anything. We need to play it by ear, see what happens. For now we'll live on Dantooine." She made an aggravated noise and sat up, "We have a family now. We can't just wait and see what happens, we need to plan." She gently picked up Luke and put him in the crib.

"Not everything can revolve around your plans," Anakin said, standing up as well.

"Raising a family is generally something that needs great planning. The type of planning that hasn't been going on for the past three years of our marriage, especially in the last nine months of it," she said angrily at him.

"That's not fair," he said, practically yelling. She glared at him and started pacing slightly around the room.

"Padme," he said, taking her hands. She looked away from him to the blank wall. He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them, "I promise that we'll figure this out really soon. But right now we can't do anything. It's not possible to plan the way you like to. Just calm down."

"What are we going to do about Naboo? How are we going to handle the kids and going to the Gungans?"

"I've been thinking," he said, sitting on the bed and pulling her with him. "What if we held off going to Naboo for a little while? Just until we get settled. I have a few other people I can talk to, old acquaintances."

"When are we going to leave here permanently?" she asked.

"I know it's soon, but possibly tomorrow," he said, running his hand through her long brown hair. She smiled at him suddenly and got up. He watched her as she packed their things, still smiling widely.

"Why are you so suddenly cheerful?"

"It's just funny," she said vaguely. "You've really jumped into this whole thing. You're dealing with it better than I am. That's not always the case," she said. She zipped up the now full suitcase and sat down next to him. He laughed, "Are you calling me immature?"

"No, of course not," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm just saying that you're so together and calm. You're such a good dad and you've just been amazing." He put his arms around her and kissed her.

"I had to pull it together at some point."

* * *

They left for Dantooine early the next morning. The sun had not yet risen and the moonlight cast and eerie florescent brightness over everything it fell on. As they boarded the Falcon all of the Jedi were on alert, their hands twitching to their lightsabers whenever the small nocturnal animals made their nighttime noises. Mace had gotten the feeling the past few nights that they were being watched, so he wanted them to leave as quickly and quietly as possible. The twins were fussy, crying and making noisy baby sounds. Padme shushed them, waving brightly colored toys over their heads. She gently pushed them back and forth in the stroller she had sent a messenger to buy the other day. They still cried, each being egged on by their twin. Anakin reached down and touched their heads, calming them with the force. He and Padme were to take the Falcon, the others were going to take smaller planes so that they would have enough to each go on separate missions when they got to Dantooine. When they reached the ship in the queen's large hanger, Bail extended his hand to shake each of theirs.

"We'll meet at the agreed upon location at the agreed upon time," Bail said. Mace had told him not to say anything that could be used against them out loud. The agreed upon location was Dantooine, and the agreed upon time was next week.

"Goodbye, Milady," Typho said. He hugged her, but broke the hug quickly after becoming aware of Anakin's look. Padme had begged him to stay; it was not his business to hide with them. He would still be part of the Alliance, but able to live freely and even return to his old job. Motee was doing the same thing. She hugged Padme and pushed back a tear, "Are you sure I can't go with you?"

"No Motee. I can't pull you into this anymore. Thank you for your help," Padme said steadily. She wanted nothing more than for her friend to go with her so that she may have some reminder of home. But no, that was selfish. This was not Motee's battle to fight. She must move on with her life. They boarded their different planes and each took off at the same time, making a thundering noise throughout the hanger. They took off in different directions, so that if someone was following them they would have to choose one person to follow. Bail watched, making sure no one was following them.

Once they had reached light speed, Anakin stepped back from the controls and watched the stars that freckled the blackness of space. This was what he loved. He loved the feeling that compared to all of this, he was tiny. It didn't matter to the stars how many mistakes he had made, they would keep on shining. He could sense Luke waking behind him. Before he could cry and wake his sister, Anakin scooped him up and held him up to the large window.

"Look, Luke," he said, as the baby's eyes lay transfixed on the galaxy. "Those are stars. I remember that when I was a little boy, I wanted to be the first one to go to all of them. All the planets, all the stars. Maybe you'll be the first," he whispered. Padme smiled at him as he spoke softly to the baby. She wouldn't have dreamed that he would take to fatherhood this well or this quickly. Luke fell back to sleep and Anakin placed him gently in the crib. He sat next to his wife and wrapped his long arms around her small frame. She was wearing an elegant black dress that had she had worn before her pregnancy. In the stress of it all, she hadn't been eating much and shrank down to her tiny, pre-pregnancy size.

"Did you ever see a real angel?" she asked. He kissed her hair and breathed deeply. Her soft hair smelled sweet.

"No, I don't think I ever did." They sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the small moment of peace.

"Once we get settled, I'm going to leave for Tatooine. I don't want you to go with me," he said quietly. He could feel her getting tense, but didn't say anything. "It's not safe there," he continued. "You need to take care of Luke and Leia. I can't risk you being seen."

"Who are you visiting there anyway?" she asked.

"Do you remember my friend Kitster? He was there when I first met you. I heard that he fell in with some pirates. From my understanding, he's no longer a pirate but he knows a few things about fighting and flying."

"You should pay a visit to Owen and Beru," Padme said.

"I don't think they want much to do with me," Anakin said bitterly.

"It would be nice if you would try. Your mom would have wanted that," Padme said.

* * *

They all landed in the Temple's hanger at about the same time. When the last plane came in, Yoda immediately hopped out of his small plane and closed the opening with a large metal door that looked like it had been out of use for a long time.

"This way," Yoda called, levitating a large rock with the Force. Behind the rock was a door. He pressed his small hand against it and it hissed open, exposing a small room.

"Controlled by the Force, the door is," Yoda explained, closing the door once they had entered the room. "With it, you must prove your good intentions." There were two columns of buttons on the wall. Yoda punched in a complicated combination and the elevator whirred to a start.

"So, you have to say why you want in and if the door judges that you are pure, it will open?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Be a Jedi, you must also. Top, bottom, one up right, two up left, the elevator combination is," Yoda said, leaning on his cane. "Developed for security, it is." The door slid open to a large, circular room. There were about twelve other doors surrounding it, and there was a large door that showed a dark room.

"Bedrooms, these are," Yoda said, gesturing to the first six doors. "Here, archives,' he said as the door slid open to reveal a large library. "Here, training," a large, bare room identical to the training rooms in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant appeared behind the door.

"And meditation rooms, these are," he said, opening two more doors with the force. "More rooms, there are, on your own, you will explore those." He hobbled off into a meditation room.


	9. Chapter 9

All characters belong to George.

* * *

"We will establish another base on Hoth," the holographic image of Bail said. "It would be unwise to lead people to where you are living."

"I will go to Tatooine to speak with a few people who I think would be willing to join," Anakin said. Obi-Wan nodded, "And I to Kashyyyk. I want to see if there are any Jedi who are possibly in hiding."

"Go with you, I will, Obi-Wan," Yoda said. "Seek out Wookie help, I plan to."  
"I will also search for surviving Jedi," Mace said. "But first I'm going to do a little more research. Review the areas Jedi were stationed and the likelihood of their survival based on the setting."

"Once Anakin gets back, I'm planning on going to Naboo to meet with the Gungans. I formed a relationship with them in the past, and Jar Jar has agreed to help me," Padme said.

"Keep in mind, milady, the Gungans do not like to interfere with issues outside of their world. It may be more beneficial to wait until the emperor does something to threaten them," Mace said. Padme put on a diplomatic smile, "I will keep that in mind, Master Windu. However, I would at least like to warn them."

"Ashoka, what about you?" Anakin asked, nudging her.

"What if I went with Anakin to Tatooine to see the Hutts. I saved Jabba's son in the past, maybe he'll still help us." Anakin stiffened beside her. The Hutts were notorious for only going along with the person who could give them the most money or power.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"I agree. The Hutts aren't to be trusted," Mace said firmly. Ashoka began to say something but decided against it, leaning back into her seat.

"There are more places I've thought about going to, we can go together once I come back from Tatooine," Anakin said, trying to make Ashoka feel better.

"Sure," she said curtly.

* * *

It was summer on Tatooine and it was hot. Hotter than usual, that is. Anakin immediately wished he had worn something besides his heavy black cloak and normal dark Jedi attire. He climbed out of the small fighter plane and cursed quietly as his hand touched the already scorching metal wing. He could see the town he had grown up in, it's beige buildings surrounded by street shops and people. It wouldn't be hard to blend in, but he still put his hood up. He glanced around. There were few hills our mountains in this area, so if he were being watched he would be able to see them. As he walked through the town, he bitterly remembered his childhood. So few good things happened on the sandy planet. He had been a slave for ten years and left his mother to stay a slave. She had died in his arms years later, right when her life had improved. After pushing through the crowds of people, he finally reached Kitster's old house. It was customary on Tatooine to stay living where you grew up, inheriting the house once your family died. It was much smaller than most houses because he was still a slave. As he approached, a tall dark skinned man walked out of the house. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, focusing on repairing a large rusty speeder. He cursed as he repaired it, kicking or hitting it every so often.

"Need some help?" Anakin asked. Kitster glanced at him, "I've got it." He froze, staring at the speeder and slowly looked back at Anakin.

"Anakin?" He asked.  
"That's me," Anakin replied. They hugged for a minute, clapping each other on the back.

"The last time I saw you was when you left to become a Jedi, how's that going?" Kitster asked. Anakin glanced around nervously, "Can we go inside?"

"Sure, sure," Kitster said, throwing the rag he was working with into the seat of the speeder and leading Anakin into the small hut. Anakin found himself standing in a modest little kitchen. There was a table and three chairs, a stove and a cooling chamber.

"Have a seat," Kitster said. "Would you like something to drink?" Anakin shook his head and sat.

"Are you still a slave?" Anakin asked as Kitster sat across from him.

"Yeah, but I became a smuggler and eventually got enough money to officially buy this house and I became majordomo for Mos Espa."

"Married?" Anakin asked. Kitster shook his head, "Not yet." Anakin nodded, few slaves married when they were still in their mid twenties as many owners didn't encourage it or allow it.  
"What about you? What's been going on in your life for the past twelve years?" Kitster asked. Anakin recounted the last decade or so of his life in a few words. He had become a Jedi, married Padme and had kids.

"Wow, you're really a Jedi? You got married? Do you have any holos?" Kitster asked, amazement in his voice. Anakin smiled slightly as the child he once knew crept back into Kitster's voice, but he shook his head.

"We didn't get a chance to take a flat-holo of the kids, they were only born a few days ago, but I have one of Padme," he said, pulling out a holograph he always had with him. It had been taken about a year ago when they were together on Naboo, during one of the few times when he wasn't on a mission and she wasn't needed at the Senate. She was laughing, an expression rarely seen during her daily life as a Senator.

"Jeeze, she's so beautiful. I should have become a Jedi," he said, handing the picture back to Anakin.  
"See, marriage for Jedi is forbidden so we had to keep it a secret for years," Anakin said. Kitster looked at him strangely, "Why don't you have to anymore?" Anakin sighed and leaned back in his chair, squinting slightly at Kitster. He smiled as he realized he was squinting. He always did it when he couldn't decide what to say next, a habit that Padme always laughed at.

"I forgot about how little news you get out here," he said. Kitster didn't say anything, forcing Anakin to continue. "Chancellor Palpatine turned out to be a Sith lord, an evil Jedi. He seized control of the Senate and is now calling himself Emperor. He tried to kill all of the Jedi, but luckily Padme and I escaped along with some others. We have decided to form a rebel alliance, originally started by Padme and a few other senators. The reason I came here was to ask if you would join us," Anakin said, squinting again. Kitster blinked and opened and closed his mouth. He didn't say anything, only gaped at Anakin.

"You could stop being a slave, agree to fight with us. You could leave here and live a better life, on Alderaan maybe," Anakin added.

"Why me?" Kitster asked after another pregnant pause.

"Because your talents as a smuggler are well known throughout the galaxy. You can fly well and do things secretly, which is what we need." Kitster sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, "Suppose I agree, what would I have to do?"

"Well, you would have to report to the base in Hoth in two months for training. You'd probably have to leave things here to join us. You don't have to tell me now," Anakin said. Kitster sighed, "I don't know. I have a girlfriend here; I finally got the job of my dreams. I want to help you, but I'm sure you remember that the affairs of the republic have no influence here," Kitster said. Anakin gave him a menacing smile and shook his head, "Oh, but don't you think Palpatine knows that?" he said, his voice a near whisper. "Don't you think that he knows exactly who is ignorant of politicians and his policies? Don't you see?" he was practically yelling now. He suddenly got up from his chair and looked out the window, his paranoia of being watched taking over him. "He'll use Tatooine and do whatever he want with the people," his voice was at its normal volume now and he sat back in his seat.

"I'm sorry Anakin. You have no idea how much I miss the old days, but I'm just not sure. I will come to the base in to months if I decide that I'm for it," Kitster said rather sadly. As he left, they exchanged com codes.

"I hope we see each other again under better circumstances," Anakin said.

"I know we will. What is it Jedi say when they leave?" Kitster asked. Anakin half-smiled, "May the Force be with you."

* * *

Obi-Wan and Yoda landed their planes in a small clearing in the middle of a dense forest. It was foggy enough to cover the two planes from sight. The ships had enough room for about three people each and were also equipped with guns.

"To find Wookies, into mountains I will go," Yoda said, hopping out of his plane.

"I suspect that if there are any living Jedi, they will be hidden in the forest. Let's contact each other in two hours and figure out what to do from that," Obi-Wan said, pulling his hood over his head. The forest was dense and it was difficult to see. The Force was very clouded in the area, which made Obi-Wan quite nervous. A clouding of the Force generally warned of a Sith being near. Something fell behind him and before he could react, a light saber was pressed against his throat.

"Who are you?" The attacker hissed. Obi-Wan could see out of the corner of his eye that the light saber was green, indicating a Jedi. He raised his hands but said nothing.

"Talk!" The Jedi yelled, pulling back Obi-Wan's hood. "Obi-Wan?" The attacker let go of him and extinguished the light saber. The man was tall and muscular with a mane of black dreadlocked hair. His skin was tan and a golden line passed from cheek to cheek underneath his black eyes.

"Quinlan Vos, we meet again," Obi-Wan said jokingly, clasping hands with his friend. Quinlan gave a grim smile, "Come, it's not safe to talk out here." Obi-Wan followed him for what seemed like ten minutes through the trees and branches before they reached a large dark cave. As they entered it, Quinlan lit a small blue light to reveal a powerful looking purple haired woman sitting against the rock wall. A small baby was in her arms. The child had the same golden line Quinlan wore on his face.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is my wife Khaleen and my son Korto," Quinlan said. "Obi-Wan and I have been friends a very long time. We fought and trained together."

"It's very good to meet you," Obi-Wan said. Khaleen nodded weakly and smiled.

"We've been here for about a month, I think," Quinlan said.

"Are there any others?" Obi-Wan asked hopefully. Quinlan sunk to the ground next to his wife, "No. All dead." Obi-Wan sank onto a small boulder, lost in his thoughts. He shook his head as if to shake himself back into reality, "Well, there are others with me. Mace, Yoda, Ashoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker. We've started a rebel movement with some Senators. I came here to search for more Jedi to bring back to the base."

"Look no farther," Quinlan said a bit bitterly. "I have searched the whole forest for days, no one else is alive on this planet."

"Then you all must come with me, immediately," Obi-Wan said. They again walked through the forest led by Quinlan. To Obi-Wan, it just looked like they were wandering but Quinlan kept assuring them he knew where to go. Finally, they reached the clearing Obi-Wan and Yoda had landed in. When they approached the two planes, Yoda was already waiting.

"Much to discuss we have. Later, it must wait," he said, climbing into his small plane. Quinlan and Khaleen sat in the two passenger seats behind Obi-Wan, Quinlan holding Korto. It was amazing to Obi-Wan that Quinlan, like Anakin, had formed a secret relationship and had a child. Was it becoming common among Jedi and he didn't know it because he was a master and such things were well hidden? Or was it just Jedi like Quinlan and Anakin, who always were rebels in their own way. Anakin had always reminded him of Quinlan through his spirit and determination. _"Plus, they both always had that hint of the Dark Side in them," _Obi-Wan thought. He had heard of Quinlan's brief stint as a Sith and had always feared the dark streak in Anakin. He was so headstrong, so set on getting what he wanted that sometimes he ignored the Jedi code. It had been a close call with Palpatine. Obi-Wan didn't want to imagine what could have happened had he succumbed to the Sith lord.

* * *

Anakin leaned against his plane and looked around. The sky had turned dark blue with the lateness of the day and the absence of the two suns made the air cold. He switched on his comlink, "Obi-Wan, this is Anakin do you come in?" He held the device up to his ear slightly and turned the volume down so as not to attract attention.

"Hello Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice crackled. "We just got back to the base. I was able to find one Jedi, Quinlan Vos and bring him back as well. Yoda found a band of Wookies who will help us and possibly bring more. How has Tatooine been?"

"I was able to contact one person who will consider it. Besides that, I'm a bit at a loss," Anakin admitted as he climbed into his plane, deciding it would be better to be ready to go incase of trouble.

"Maybe you should consider coming back for a while to regroup," Obi-Wan said, the static over the comlink growing louder. "Hold on, Padme wants to talk to you."

"Hi Ani," Padme said. Anakin smiled at the sound of her voice, "Hey, how have the kids been?"

"They're fine. Quinlan Vos actually has a family too. He's married and they have a son who's about Luke and Leia's age. Isn't that funny?"

"Yeah. It's interesting there's another Jedi who did the same thing I did," Anakin said.

"Are you going to see Owen and Beru?" Padme asked hopefully. Anakin rolled his eyes and strained his voice to keep it pleasant sounding, "I think I'll try to see them when I come back."

"Anakin, you really should," she said reproachfully, knowing what he was thinking. "Are you coming back now?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, yeah I was just about to leave. I'll be home in a few hours."

"Okay, I love you."

"Love you too," he said, switching off his comlink and starting the plane. Unbeknownst to him, as he took off, a dark figure darted out of a nearby shop. It threw a circular disk at the ship, which hit it and stuck. The tracking device blinked red.


	10. Chapter 10

Artoo beeped frantically at Anakin.

"What's wrong?" He asked. He could rarely understand the droid and had little patience for small maintenance jobs Artoo frequently had him doing. Artoo beeped again and writing came up on the small screen on Anakin's control panel.

"A tracking device?" he said. That was bad. Not only did it mean that someone was following, but that they knew that he would go to Tatooine and were perhaps spying on him since he arrived. He felt a pang as he thought of Kitster. He didn't want to drag anyone into this mess that, as far as he was concerned, he started.

"We're going to have some fun," Anakin said. He touched down on Arami, a planet much like Tatooine. He had landed in a very busy town, full of people and ships. He removed the blinking tracking device and snuck behind a large ship that looked like it was about to leave. He reattached the to the bottom of the ship and quickly slipped back into his plane.

"Set a course for Dantooine, Artoo," he said, taking off.

* * *

It was night on Dantooine by the time he arrived. He had been more paranoid than before on the way back, frequently making trickier trips through asteroid fields to shake any would-be attackers.

"Ani," Padme said, running towards him the minute he climbed out of the plane. He pulled her into an embrace, "Any news?"

"Not really. Besides the Wookie help and finding another Jedi there's nothing more going on. Bail says that he's meeting with some people who will likely side with us, but he didn't say who incase anyone is spying on us."

"Yeah. Kitster is still undecided, so we'll see. How are the twins?"

"They're fine, sleeping for now but they've been really fussy. I think all the change of location isn't agreeing with them," she said a little sadly. "I told you about Quinlan, didn't I? His wife and I have been sort of bonding over this," she said. Though she seemed happy, she looked extremely pale and tired.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just a little tired with the twins and everything," she said, forcing a smile. "Come on, let's go to sleep," she said before he could say anything more.

Anakin woke early the next morning. He slipped out of bed quietly so as not to wake Padme. He walked over to the crib and looked down. Luke and Leia were sleeping soundly, covered in a purple blanket. He wanted to test their midichlorian count. If they had any force sensitivity, Palpatine would know and use it against them. At least if he tested them, he'd know what he was dealing with. He gently picked up Leia, kissing her on the forehead as she began to stir. He looked over at the still sleeping Padme with a slight sense of regret. He hadn't discussed it with her. He knew that she didn't want them to be trained as Jedi from an early age as was customary. He didn't want that either, but he had a feeling she'd consider testing their midi-chlorians as a step in the Jedi direction.

He took Leia out into the hallway and took out a small device used to test blood. Leia cried when he poked her with it. He calmed her down and did the same thing with her brother.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, coming out of his room.

"I was testing their blood," Anakin whispered. "Hold on," he said, going back into the room to put Luke back in the crib.

"Why so early?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin looked down, slightly ashamed.

"Padme doesn't know," he mumbled.

"Does she care?"

"I'm not sure. I know she doesn't want us to train them from childhood and I think that if we found out their midi-chlorian count, she would assume that I intended to train them," Anakin said. "Is there a lab here?" he asked. Obi-Wan nodded and gestured for him to follow. They walked through a door and into a long white hallway. Their boots clicked as they walked silently. They finally reached a door and came into a white room filled with medical equipment and computers. Anakin sat behind a computer and began to test the twin's blood. Obi-Wan sat behind him, his chin in his hand.  
"How long have you been back?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan, swiveling around in his chair to face him.

"Since yesterday. Mace left shortly after that, I'm not quite sure where he went," Obi-Wan said.

"Wow," Anakin exclaimed as the results of Leia's midi-chlorian count came in.

"19,000?" Obi-Wan said incredulously. "That nearly rivals yours."

"I know. I wonder if Luke has the same," Anakin said quietly. After a few moments, the computer showed that Luke did indeed share the same midi-chlorian count as his sister.

"Their count is nearly the same as mine and they're only children," Anakin said quietly. "If Palpatine knew…I don't want to think about what he'd do with them."

"They will be incredibly powerful Jedi," Obi-Wan said.

"Please don't tell anyone. At least for now," Anakin said,

"I wont. Are you going to tell Padme?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin squinted, "No. She doesn't need to know."

"Is that a good idea though? Withholding something like that from her?" Anakin shrugged, "She's stressed out enough. She doesn't need to worry about Palpatine getting them or their power."

"I've been wondering, have you heard of any other Jedi who had relationships like you did?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin gave him a strange look, "Quite the change of subject."

"Well, I was just thinking. I mean, you got married and kept it from the Council, as did Quinlan. It just seems hard to believe that you two were the only ones and I thought that maybe it was hidden from me better because of my position on the Council," Obi-Wan said.

"Well, I heard rumors but never really saw anything," Anakin said. They were quiet for a few moments until Anakin thought of something, "Now that the Council is pretty much destroyed, do you ever think about getting married?" Obi-Wan smiled slightly, "Well, first I'd have to meet someone. Even if I did, the answer is no."

"Really? You don't even want to?" Anakin said.

"No. I mean, I am really happy for you and Padme but that's not the life I want. I was raised with Jedi values, values I live by and am not going to abandon," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin took a deep breath, "If anything were to happen to me," Anakin began, slowly and quietly. "Would you take care of them?"

"Anakin, I have complete faith in you that you will indeed kill Palpatine," Obi-Wan said. "But yes. If for some reason you failed I would make sure that they are okay." Anakin nodded, "Thank you." They sat quietly for another minute.

"Maybe we should head back, the others will be waking up soon," Obi-Wan said. They walked back through the hallway, speaking quietly about who else they could recruit for the rebel cause.

"Good morning," Padme said, kissing Anakin. "Come on, I want to show you something." She took his hand and led him through a large door. They walked through a hallway identical to the one he and Obi-Wan had taken to get to the medical room. They reached the end of the hallway and walked through a doorway. The second they reached the room the lights turned on, showing many potted plants and trees surrounding a large fountain.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I don't know, I found it the other day," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Padme I need to tell you something," he said, lifting her head up and looking at her in the eyes. "I tested their midi-chlorian counts. Both are nearly as high as mine." She pulled away from him, "Anakin I can't believe you did that."

"I had to know. Just to see what we were dealing with," he said, trying to take her hands. She pulled them away from him and angrily crossed her arms.

"You can't force them to become Jedi," she said.

"What's so wrong with that? They are powerful, we must embrace it," he said. He was growing extremely frustrated with her aversion towards the twins becoming Jedi. If they were going to become senators or something else political she would completely embrace it.

"I don't want our children to be caught in a life they don't want. Look at what happened to me. Ever since I was a child I was in politics, and to be honest I wasn't happy. Do you want that? To force them into something they might not want to be?" She asked. He took a deep breath, trying to control himself. She was right. He didn't want them to fall to the Jedi, to be controlled the way he was.

"_Still, they are so powerful,"_ the voice said. _"It would be a shame to let that power go to waste. The Jedi have always forced you to control your power, save it for their own gain. It could be different with Luke and Leia." _But no, that wasn't what he wanted for them. They can become Jedi, but when they're older.

"Ani?" Padme asked after he had been quiet for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Maybe if they want to be Jedi, we could train them when they're nine or ten like I was," Anakin said.

"I think I'm going to go to Naboo today," Padme said. Anakin blinked, "Wow, we really are hitting all of the tough topics today," he said, sitting down on a bench.

"Anakin, I can't just sit here and do nothing," she said, sitting next to him.

"I'll go with you."

"No. You need to take care of the twins. We can't both be gone at the same time in the same ship incase anything happens," she said firmly.

"You're making me feel a lot better," he said.

"I'll be fine."

"At least go with Obi-Wan," Anakin said. She rolled her eyes, "Fine."

* * *

"Milady, isa so good to be seeing yousa," Jar Jar said emphatically as Padme and Obi-Wan arrived at the main area in the underwater city of Otoh Gunga.

"It's good to see you too Jar Jar," Padme said.

"Thisa way," he said, leading them through the large bubble to the room that held the Gungan High Council.

"Senator Padme Amidala and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to be seeing yousa," Jar Jar announced.

"What brings yousa here?" Rugor Nass said.

"I come to ask you to join us in the rebellion against Emperor Palpatine," Padme said. "The brave Gungan people have given us great assistance in the past and I know that your people are passionate about true democracy." She knew from experience that the best way to earn the Gungan's help was to flatter them. As a senator, Padme had always been quite good at flattery.

"Wesa no caren about the Emperor," Nass said. "Hesa do nothing to us."

"But he will. He will soon invade Naboo and make you slaves to him," Padme said. "He caused the suffering thirteen years ago, the last time you agreed to help me." Nass sat back in his seat, looking curiously at the young woman.

"Why yousa care? Yousa rich senator, famous."

"I care because I want to do what's right. Palpatine will cause much suffering throughout the galaxy and I cannot allow that. Please, we need help," she said. The high council began speaking to each other quietly, all while Nass sat and stared at Padme.  
"After mucha thought, wesa join you," Nass said.

* * *

Obi-Wan set a course back to Dantooine and sat back in his chair, smiling at Padme. The Gungans would be a huge help to them and may even be a defining point in their success.

"This is great," she said, beaming.

"Yes, it really will make the difference in the rebellion," Obi-Wan said.

"So that's what we're calling ourselves now? Rebels?" she asked a bit disdainfully.

"Well, I suppose we are. We're rebelling against the Emperor," Obi-Wan said. Padme nodded, "How much longer until we get to Dantooine?" she asked impatiently. "I really miss them." Obi-Wan smiled. He had known Padme since she was a young teenager and had never pictured her a mother. It was odd to see that she had adjusted to motherhood and being a wife so well.

"You two really surprise me," Obi-Wan said. Padme smiled, confused, "How so?"

"I mean, with being married and how you are with your kids. I've known both of you since you were just kids yourselves. It's a little hard to believe sometimes that that little Queen bossing everyone around is married to that sandy haired little kid on Tatooine are married and have two babies," Obi-Wan said.

"You're right. Sometimes I don't really believe it; we've come so far," she said. Before either of them could say anything else, the control panel and viewscreen began blinking red.

"What is it?" she asked. A large rusty looking ship appeared on the viewscreen.

"Pirates," Obi-Wan said.


	11. Chapter 11

Padme turned on the holocam, "Anakin, we're being attacked by Pirates over Naboo." Before he could answer, the ship shook from a blast. A face appeared on the viewscreen. The man was dirty, with long and greasy black hair surrounding his face.

"Prepare to be boarded," he spat. Obi-Wan frantically tried to move the ship but it was no use, the larger aircraft had attached to them.

"Don't worry Padme, pirates are usually very weak minded. I think I'll be able to trick them," Obi-Wan said. They were suddenly consumed by darkness. The power had been cut out. The ramp opened and light finally flooded the room and pirate who had been on the viewscreen appeared before them in the flesh. Two younger but just as dirty boys flanked him. One looked to be about sixteen while the other looked much younger, possibly ten.

"What's this?" he said, grabbing Padme by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "Tell me sweetie, what's a pretty thing like you doing way out in space?"

"Just traveling," Padme lied.

"Where to?" he asked. His face was very close to hers and she could smell his foul breath. The stench was so strong she was having trouble thinking.

"Just to um," she stammered. He shook her hard, "Um ain't no planet I've ever heard of. Where were you going?"

"Enarc," she said.

"And who's this?" he asked as the two boys pointed their blasters at Obi-Wan.

"My boyfriend Ben. We were just going for a visit," she said. She had heard Obi-Wan use this alias before and figured it would be the most natural name. She noticed that his lightsaber was no longer on his belt like it usually was.

"Your boyfriend is dressed an awful lot like a Jedi," he said, throwing her back into her seat and rounding on Obi-Wan.

"Where's your lighsaber?"

"I'm not a Jedi," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand. The pirate smirked, "Like hell you aren't, waving your hands around like that. Your mind tricks don't work on me." Obi-Wan sent a sidelong glance at Padme. They were in trouble.

"So where's your lightsaber?" He said, pointing the blaster in Obi-Wan's face.

"Lost it, we were going to get a new one," Obi-Wan said. The pirate cracked a wide grin, displaying his rotten yellow teeth.

"There's a bounty on you Jedi, and I'm sure the Chancellor wouldn't say no to your pretty friend. You're coming with us," the pirate said. The two boys brandished stun cuffs and attached them to Obi-Wan and Padme's wrists. They were led into a large room filled with crates. The area of floor that was visible was brown and the walls were dark, dingy red. They were pushed down onto the ground next to some particularly old looking boxes covered in dust. As Padme got her bearings, she realized that there were many other pirates strewn about the room. Most were sleeping, while others were eating and talking.

"We'll be in Coruscant in a few hours," the pirate said menacingly. "Stay where you are unless you want to be killed sooner."

"I'm sorry Padme," Obi-Wan said when the pirate left.

"It's not your fault. I was the one who brought you with me," she said sadly.

"But I don't have anything or anyone. You have children, a husband," he said. "No, don't feel sorry for me," he said after seeing her apathetic look, "That was my choice."

She rested her head on his shoulder. He had always been a great friend to her, she had even considered confiding in him her relationship with Anakin before all of this happened. They had been on the ship for a few hours, and Padme assumed that they were getting closer to Coruscant. She dreaded what Palapatine would do once they arrived.

"I've been trying to figure out how armed they are," Obi-Wan said. "Looks like they each have around two blasters."

"Why does it matter?" Padme asked.

"I hid my lightsaber and they didn't bother searching," he said. "It's in my boot."

"Well then do something," she said slightly frantically.

"I can't do anything with these binders on my wrists," he said.

"Hey," someone whispered from the other side of the crate they had been pushed against. Padme turned her head to see the young boy who had assisted the pirate in abducting them crouching behind the crate.

"Are you Padme?" he asked.

"Well, yes," she said. "But how would you…"

"Don't matter," the boy said dismissively. "I wanna help you."

"By all means, please" she said.

"I have a lightsaber, if you can free my hands I'll do the rest," Obi-Wan whispered.

"First you have to promise to take me with you," the boy blurted out. "I don't care where you're going, just away."

"Well," Obi-Wan started before Padme interrupted him, "Yes," She said firmly.

"Okay, here's a key," the boy said, slipping it to Padme. She quietly unlocked Obi-Wan's cuffs and passed the key to him so he could unlock hers. She kept her wrists together so that no one would notice they were no longer bound. Obi-Wan slowly reached into his boot so as not to draw attention to himself and pulled out his lightsaber.

"How armed are they?" he asked the boy.

"Not very. Half of them are drunk and not handy with blasters under any conditions. Here," he said, handing Padme a blaster as well.

"On my count," Obi-Wan said, crouching to get ready. "One, two, three."

He leapt into the air, brandishing his lightsaber. The pirates immediately shot at him but Obi-Wan deflected their blasts with skill. In the reflection of the blasts, a few of the boys were hit.

"What the hell is goin' on 'ere?" the large pirate who had abducted them said, staggering out of his captain's room.

"Let us go," Obi-Wan said. "Let us go or I will use force." The pirate said nothing, only glared at the boy who had helped them. The boy was pointing his blaster at him, giving him a look filled with hate and loathing.

"So this is how it's gonna be, Han," the large pirate said. "After everything I've done for you."

"Sorry, Garriss, but I'm gettin' outta this ship," Han said.

"Ungrateful slime," Garriss hissed, lunging at the boy. Han shot him without skipping a beat. Garriss wheeled backward and hit the wall hard, dead.

"Everyone drop your blasters, I wanna see 'em on the ground," Han yelled, turning in a circle with his arm holding the blaster outstretched. "Your ship is still attached, go through that door," he said.

"You two go ahead, I'll make sure we have no followers," Obi-Wan said. He waited until they were in and he followed. They quickly took off; Obi-Wan wanted to get as far away from the ship and Coruscant as possible.

"I'm Han," the boy said to Padme.

"I'm Padme, but I guess you knew that. This is Obi-Wan," she said.

"I've heard 'a you," the boy said.

"How long have you been on that ship?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Since I was just a kid. I was an orphan and Garriss took me in, been a pirate since then," Han said.

"You killed the man who took you in?" Padme asked with slight disgust.

"You don't know what he's done to me. He beat me all the time. It's not a good life bein' a pirate, especially when you're forced to be one," Han said bitterly. Padme noticed that he seemed older than his actual age. It made her sad to see a boy who had been treated so badly by life that he could kill someone who had been like a father to him-cruel though he may have been. She thought of Luke. What if he grew bitter from the life of hiding it looked like they would be leading for a very long time? What if he resented her and Anakin? It had been one of her worst fears since she found out she was pregnant.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Ten," Han said.

"How did you know who I was?" Padme asked. Han shrugged, "It's a long story."

"We've got time. I'm curious to myself, to be honest," Obi-Wan said. Han sighed,

"Well, a few years ago I met this guy called Anakin Skywalker. I'm guessing you know him," he said to Padme.

"Well, yes he's my husband," she said.

"Oh, he told me it was a secret. Didn't want to out you in front of this guy," he said, gesturing to Obi-Wan.

"Why would he tell you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Gettin' to that," Han said. "Anyway, I was like eight I think. I had been captured by this other pirate and so had he. Misplaced his lightsaber or something. We were chained together just sitting there on this big ship, so we got to talking. The pirates were really brutal, I honestly thought I was going to die and so did he. So, he told me about you. Told me you were the love of his life, that he'd do anything for you, blah blah blah. He showed me a picture, so I recognized you," Han said. "Anakin devised this plan of grabbing someone's gun with the Force and it worked. He saved my life. Where I come from, you owe someone who saves your life a favor. Figured you were about as close to his life as I was gonna get."

"He never told me about that," Obi-Wan said.

"He was probably embarrassed, this big famous Jedi being captured by pirate scum and all," Han shrugged. "Is he still alive? I heard about the Jedi purges."

"Yes, he's still alive. We're going to see him now," Padme said.  


* * *

"Padme," Anakin said, running at his wife and pulling her into an embrace. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, kissing him.

"I went searching for you over Naboo but there were no ships there," he said.

"Yeah, we were on our way to Coruscant," Padme said darkly.

"How did you escape?" he asked.

"All thanks to Han," she said as Han came out of the ship. "Apparently you know each other."

"Han? Han Solo?" Anakin asked as the boy approached.

"Hey Anakin," Han said.

"You saved them?" he asked.

"Yeah, I remembered the story you told me and her picture. Thought I owed you one," he said.

"We have a spare room you can stay in, I'll show you," Padme said, leading him through one of the many identical doors.

"Funny kid," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. "Hard to believe he's only ten."

"He can't stay here," Obi-Wan said.

"Why not?" Anakin said, a little angrily.

"Anakin, do you really want to bring a young boy into this mess? Who would take care of him? You and Padme have your hands full as it is," Obi-Wan said.  
"With what?" Padme asked, coming out of Han's new room.

"With you kids," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes, we do but what else would we need to take care of?" Padme asked.

"Obi-Wan thinks that Han can't stay here," Anakin said.

"Well, I agree," Padme said.

"But he saved you, he has nowhere else to go," Anakin said angrily.

"I know Ani, but I think he's had a hard enough life as it is. He doesn't deserve to live here, in hiding," She said.

"Where can he go?" Anakin asked bitterly.

"This is a big maybe, but Bail Organa once told me of how much he and his wife want a child but can't have one of their own. Perhaps he'd be willing to take Han in?" Padme said.

"That's a good idea," Obi-Wan said. "Contact him soon."

"I will," she said. Anakin rolled his eyes and turned around. He walked into their small room. Padme sighed and followed, "Ani?"

"What?" he asked sharply.

"Come on, talk. Why are you getting so upset about this?" She asked.

"I don't know. I guess he kinda reminds me of me when I was that age. You know? I was a slave, trapped in a life I didn't want to be in. Then Qui Gon came and my whole life changed for the better," he said, sitting on the bed.

"And you want to be Qui Gon to Han," she said, finishing his thought. She stood in front of him and took his hands.

"I suppose you're right. He can't stay here."

"Thank you. I'll call Bail," she said. She turned to walk away but he didn't release her hands.

"Anakin?" she said. He was holding her hand but didn't appear to be aware of it. He was staring blankly at the wall.

"Let's go," he said, still looking at the wall.

"Go where?" she asked.

"Let's leave here. Let's go see your parents, go to Naboo," he said, standing up. He was normally inches taller than her, but when he stood then he seemed tower feet over her.

"Anakin," she said, laughing slightly. "Are you having some sort of fit? We can't just leave."

"Who says? We've been following orders our whole lives, let's do something we want to do for once," he said.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked.

"Nothing. I'm just tired, okay?" he said curtly.

"Ani," she said, putting a hand on his cheek and looking into his eyes. "You can tell me."

"When I heard your message I almost died. It was even worse when I couldn't find you. I never want to go through that again. You are more important than destroying the empire," Anakin said.

"Anakin, one life is nothing compared to the millions who will fall victim to the Emperor," Padme said. She didn't like when he got like this, she didn't want to think about it. Before the twins, she would have risked her life in anyway for the greater good. But now, the decision to take risks was harder. Despite her feelings, she had to be the firm one in this. Anakin could not walk away from the Jedi, she wouldn't allow it. He didn't say anything, only glared at her.

"But I'm fine," she said.

"Padme, come on," he said angrily, releasing her hands. "I know you're scared too."

"So what if I am," she said, finally losing her temper. "My feelings and yours should be left out of it. I haven't left my own feelings out of my decisions my whole life to start doing it now."

"Damn it Padme," he yelled. "Can you act like a human being for once? Don't you care about Luke and Leia? Haven't you thought once about how if we're killed there will be nothing for them?" Padme flinched as if she had been hit. She felt tears sting her eyes, "That's not fair. I want to overthrow the Emperor for them. So that they may have a life in which they don't always have to look over their shoulder," she said, trying to hold back the tears that were forming. "We both want the same thing." She sat on the bed and took a deep breath. He didn't say anything.

"We've been fighting a lot lately," she said. He nodded, "Stress."

She rolled her eyes, growing exasperated at his standoffishness.

"Good talk," she said sarcastically.

"Well what do you want me to say? You've made it clear that my opinion means nothing to you," He said angrily.

"I want you to talk about this with me. We can't just yell at each other. I'm trying to listen to you. Your opinions means a lot to me, Anakin, you're my husband. Sometimes though you don't think things through. You act on emotions, not logic," she said.

"As opposed to you who acts only on logic," he retorted. "Sometimes the logical answer is not always the right one."

"You're right. You're absolutely correct, but with huge life decisions like this you can't just go on emotions," She said.

"A mix of both," he said quietly. He finally sat next to her on the bed and put his head in his hands. "Sometimes I just want a normal life. Sometimes I wish I hadn't become a Jedi." Padme finally let the tears fall. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

"I do too. But I don't wish that you never became a Jedi. You're so gifted and I honestly believe that you will kill the Emperor. All I want is for Luke and Leia to have a happy life and they only way they will is if the empire is no more," she said.

"And if I fail?" Anakin asked.

"You wont," she said. He snorted, "That's not very logical."

"Sometimes we need to put away logic," she said into his shoulder. "Are you afraid?" Anakin sat for a minute, thinking.

"No," he said slowly. "Not for myself. I'm afraid that if I die the kids wont be okay. That he'll find them or the Empire will become worse. But you'll be with them, so I know they'll be alright. I guess I'm afraid that they'll never know me. They'll think of me as this guy who did a lot, yes, but was never their dad." She kissed his shoulder,

"Ani, in the off chance that anything does happen, they'll know their father," she said firmly. "What about me?"

"No, you'll be fine," he whispered. "You're so strong. Strongest woman I know. You've never needed me to protect you."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Well, because my dear, you've done everything in your power to prove to me that I know you better than you know yourself, and I know that you'll be fine," he said, smirking. "What if we only went away for a little while? Just a few days to Chommell." She sighed, "Okay."

"Okay," Anakin said, getting up. "Let's leave tomorrow morning. I'll tell Obi-Wan."

He found Obi-Wan in the library looking over a data-pad.

"There you are," he said. "Were you two in a fight? I thought I heard yelling."

"Yeah, probably the worst fight of our marriage," Anakin said, sinking into a chair next to Obi-Wan.

"Over what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"A lot of things. We're both just really stressed. Which is what I came to talk to you about," Anakin said. "We would like to leave for a few days. Take the twins and go to see her parents."

"Anakin, are you sure that that's a good idea?" Obi-Wan asked, putting down his data-pad.

"We would be okay for a few days," Anakin said.

"Only a few days," Obi-Wan said firmly. A few minutes later Padme walked in the room.

"Hello there," she said, sitting at their table. "Bail agreed to take Han in. I just told him."

"How did Han take it?" Anakin asked.

"I don't think he was that happy about it," Padme said. "But I promised I'd visit him a lot. I think he'll be all right. Let's take him to Alderaan when we get back."


	12. Chapter 12

"So do you have any idea where your parents are?" Anakin asked as he landed the ship.

"Yes," she said, gently rocking Leia.

"You wanna expand on that?" He asked.

"Oh sorry. Yes. My grandparents own a house here," she said. "It's under a different name, I don't think Palpatine ever knew about it." She put Leia in the stroller next to Luke.

"It's close, don't worry," she said. He began pushing the stroller and she linked arms with him. He wasn't dressed as a Jedi so he could blend in better. He wore typical clothes for the humans who would live in the Chommell sector, as did she.

"This is nice," he said as they walked. "Acting like a normal family, that is."

"I know," she said quietly.

"Here we are," she said as they approached a waist high wooden gate. The gate led to a cobblestone path, which brought them to a medium sized old-fashioned looking house. Flowers and trees surrounded it.

"I used to play over there with Sola," Padme said, pointing to a small grass covered hill. Before they could nock the door swung open. Padme's mother gasped and nearly dropped the things she was carrying, "Is this them?" Padme beamed, "Luke and Leia."

"Ruwee," she called. "Ruwee they're here!" Anakin was beginning to notice that the rest of Padme's family was much louder than her.

"Oh my," he said as he saw the twins. "What are their names?"

"Luke and Leia," Anakin said.

"I finally have a grandson," Ruwee said excitedly.

"Aunt Padme," the girls yelled as they came running out. She hugged them tightly and then they ran to Anakin, hugging his legs.

"Girls, there are some people I want you to meet," she said. "These are your cousins, Luke and Leia."  


* * *

Padme, Sola and Jobal watched as Anakin stood in the yard with the girls, levitating things with the force and engaging in their childish games.

"He really seems like he's taken to parenthood quite well," Sola said.

"He has. He's been wonderful. I admit I was pretty surprised. He wasn't that excited about it," Padme said, shrugging.  
"How are things going with the Jedi?" Jobal asked.

"Well, as we left Naboo after visiting you we were attacked by a Sith lord. Of course, we got away but she's still alive. Other than that, things have been uneventful," she said. Ruwee had gone out and joined Anakin and it looked like they were having a rather intense discussion.

"How would you feel if we invited some family over tonight?" Jobal asked Padme. Padme frowned. As much as she wanted to see the rest of her family, it was risky.

"I don't know mom," she said, sighing.

"It would just be your grandmother," Jobal said, a slight tone of pleading in her voice.

"I'll ask Anakin," Padme said wistfully.  
"Ask me what?" Anakin said as he came in with Ruwee.

"Let's go upstairs," she suggested, taking his hand and leading him upstairs.  
"Anakin," Padme said, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Would it be alright my grandmother came over tonight?" He rubbed the back of his head and raised his eyebrows at her.

"I don't know. I don't want to drag more people into this," he said.

"I know, I don't want to either. But I'm so close to my grandmother and I want her to meet you and the twins so much," She smiled wider at him. He put his hands on her waist and frowned, "Padme…"

"It would mean a lot to me," she said, leaning into him slightly. He hesitated but finally rolled his eyes, "You honestly think I'll say no to you? Yes, I would love to meet her." She kissed him, "Thank you."

* * *

At dinner, Anakin sat next to Padme. The twins were in high chairs on the other side of him. They were about two months old now and had started smiling and laughing, much to the amusement of their cousins. Padme's grandmother sat across from him. Since she arrived, she had been shooting Anakin a stern look, glaring at him over her dinner plate and barely saying a word.

"Would you like some more water Yaya?" Padme asked, noticing the silence.

"No thank you dear, I'm fine," she said, smiling at Padme but quickly returning to her scowl.

"So Anakin's from Tatooine, didn't you do some service work there, mom?" Jobal asked.

"Yes, for a spell. I attempted to better the lives of some slaves," she said coldly.

"Anakin was a slave until he was nine," Padme said. Anakin nodded, "Yes, in Mos Espa."

"Hm, never went there," Ryoo responded absently.

"Yaya is everything alright?" Padme asked.

"Yes, dear. I'm just a little tired is all," Ryoo said.

"I know that you're a little angry," Padme started.

"Angry is when someone steals from you, angry is when your speeder breaks down and you're late for work. My dear, I am not angry," Ryoo said coolly.

"Okay, then you're upset," Padme said curtly.

"Young lady," Ryoo interrupted again. "I deserve to know that my granddaughter has gotten married at most the day after it happens. Her lying to me for three years about a man who seems to bring her nothing but misfortune causes me to be much more than angry, or upset. I'm extremely disappointed in you and hurt that you would keep such a thing from your own family."

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you," Padme said. "You were the first person I wanted to call, but I couldn't. I couldn't do that to Anakin. If it got out he would have been expelled from the Order, which is something I could not allow to happen. Anakin makes me so happy. I know you can see that."

"Yes, please Ryoo," Ruwee said. "It was a bit of a shock for all of us and I admit, I was not thrilled to hear about this relationship three years after the fact. However, right now Padme does not need us to place blame on her. You know her well enough to know that she's been living in guilt since they've been married. Anakin is a great man. He fought hard in the clone wars and told me himself that he would give everything up in an instant for her."

"So, can we all play nice now?" Sola asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry Anakin. Padme's very special to me," Ryoo said. "She's so gifted and she never really dated. I don't take either of my granddaughters relationships lightly."

"Well, Padme's really special to me too and I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to her," Anakin said.

"Yeah, you weren't that thrilled about Darred if I remember correctly," Sola said.

"The boy was an architect for gods sake, a bad one at that," Ryoo said, smiling. "Not fit for my oldest granddaughter."

"Yes, well I think we can all agree that Darred has shown his potential," Jobal said firmly.

"Yes, yes, I suppose. So Anakin, tell me all about yourself," Ryoo said, leaning back in her chair and looking at him expectantly. Everyone turned to look at him. He awkwardly looked at Padme who smiled at him.

"_Sorry,_" he heard her say. He jumped slightly as her mouth didn't move. He realized that she had just telepathically communicated with him, something Obi-Wan and he would do on occasion. He didn't know what it meant, was she force-sensitive as well?

"Anakin?" Padme asked. He realized that he hadn't said anything for a long time.

"Oh, well um, where should I start?" he asked.

"From the beginning, that is the beginning of your life I presume," Ryoo said.

"Okay, well I was born into slavery. My mother and I were slaves to a junk dealer named Watto. I always wanted to make a better life for her," he said. He stopped for a minute to take a sip of water to collect himself before continuing. "Anway, when I was about nine I met a Jedi named Qui-Gon Jinn. Padme was serving as queen at the time and was with him as well. Their ship had crash-landed and they needed parts. He saw that I was force-sensitive and wanted to buy me from Watto. Watto betted that if I won the podrace, I could leave with them. I won, so I became a Jedi."

"Anakin was the first human to win a podrace," Padme said.

"Impressive. Now tell me Anakin, quite involved in this war were you? How was it?" Ryoo asked.

"Yes, I was pretty involved," Anakin said bitterly.  
"Well, I am finished. I will take a short walk alone and be back in a few minutes. A cup of tea would be nice for when I get back," she said, standing up. Anakin and Ruwee stood as she got up.

"I'll go start that," Jobal said.  
"Come on," Padme said to Anakin. He picked up Luke and Leia and put them in their bassinettes. He followed her onto the patio, which overlooked a beautiful lake.

* * *

"So she's intense," he said.

"I'm sorry about that. She's a great woman but can be a bit…determined," Padme said.

"Well, at least now I know where you get your ability to make me completely terrified. I'd take Palpatine over her any day," Anakin said. He took out a small holorecorder and placed it on the low roof, angling it down.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Just want to make sure we'll have no unexpected guests tonight," he said. "I've been putting them all around the house."

"What was that earlier?" she asked.

"Hm?" he asked absently.

"Did you hear me in your head?" she asked.

"Yes, I did."

"So, I thought something to you and you received it?" she asked slowly.

"I guess I did."

"What does that mean?"

"I think it might mean that you're force-sensitive as well. That would explain the twin's high midi-chlorian count."  


* * *

Anakin lay awake next to Padme. He was staring at the monitor of the holorecorders he had set up. Padme's grandmother had made him nervous. A lot of the things she said were right. He was bringing great danger to her and the twins. It was then that the idea struck him.

"_You could always leave," _the voice said. _"She'd be safe here, so would they. You could leave and face him. If you were killed it wouldn't have immediate ramifications for her-she may not even know at first. They're better off without you."_ He rolled over to face Padme. If he left she'd be devastated.

"_Sometimes she doesn't know what's good for her," _the voice insisted. Padme rolled over too and they were face to face. She smiled at him and traced the vertical scar over his eye with her finger.

"Have you slept at all?" she whispered.

"No, been watching the cameras."

"Anakin, get some sleep. If anything goes wrong you'll sense it," she said.

Leaving would be a stupid idea, he knew it. It would kill her and he couldn't do that to her or his children. He shut his eyes. Padme shifted next to him and he opened his eyes. Her back was to him again. He put his arm around her and shut his eyes once more, trying to relax. He thought about destroying the Empire, what would happen if he succeeded. He had nearly reached the point of dreaming when a voice interrupted his near-sleep.  
"How long do you think it will take?" Padme whispered.

"Hm?" he asked, not opening his eyes.

"I mean destroying the Empire, all of this."

"Soon," Anakin mumbled. She didn't say anything and he had nearly gone into dreaming again before he felt Padme crying beside her. He opened his eyes, "Padme?"

"I don't want you to leave," she said. "I know you think that you're putting us into danger, but you aren't. He'd search for me anyway, you're protecting us. Anakin, you can't abandon me."

"Padme, I'm sorry that you think I'm going to leave you. I'm not, I promise. I would never do that to you," he said, rubbing her back.

"I just got the feeling that you were planning on it," she said. She was more force-sensitive than he thought, as she was obviously able to at least sense his intentions if not read his mind.

"Go to sleep. We'll both feel better in the morning," he whispered.  


* * *

He woke early the next morning with a splitting headache. He groaned and got out of bed, pulling a robe on. He entered the large living room and sat on a cushion on the floor. Perhaps meditating would clear his head. Before he began, he noticed a holo album sitting on the table that said 'Padme' in large blue letters. Inside were holos of Padme starting from when she was a baby. The brown haired baby smiled and waved up at him. He had never seen pictures of her from when she was so young. She looked a lot like Leia. As he turned the pages, she got older. Picnicking in Naboo with teenage Sola, petting a tusk cat and dressed as a young queen. This was the life he had never known. As he flipped the pages he suddenly stopped at one. A young man was standing with his arm around her waist, smiling down at her. They looked to be about fourteen. Before he could search for more pictures of her with the mysterious boy he felt someone enter the room behind him.

"Oh, good morning Anakin," Ruwee said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone would be up this early," Anakin said, springing to his feet.

"Yes, I tend to wake up at this time everyday. Old habit from when I was a teacher. Do you harbor the same habit?"

"Yes, I guess I do. Probably form the war. We'd always sleep for only a few hours at a time," he said, closing the holo album.

"Oh were you looking at pictures of Padme?" Ruwee asked. "I admit I haven't looked through those in ages." He sat on the couch and opened the book, flipping through the pages as Anakin had.

"So Anakin, do you have any family?" Ruwee asked conversationally. Anakin flinched a little, he hated questions like these.

"The only family I knew was my mother who died around three years ago," he said quietly. He felt awkward standing while Ruwee sat, so he took a seat next to him.

"I'm very sorry," he said. "Quite involved in the war were you?"

"Yes. The Jedi served as generals. I was on the front lines for a year, then was able to go on different missions for a little while."

"Awful?"

"Yes. I have not met the glory others talk about in my experience in war," Anakin said bitterly.

"You were quite the hero. One could barely turn on the holonet without hearing of the 'Hero without fear.'" Anakin rolled his eyes. Contrary to Obi-Wan and Ashoka's belief, Anakin hated his unofficial title.

"Yeah. However, I don't pride myself in becoming a war hero."

"It pains me that they send such young people out to do the Republic's dirty work. Don't they have clones for that?"

"Well, yes but they would not be very successful without the help of the Jedi," Anakin said. "Sir, I just wanted to say that it is not my intent to bring danger to Padme." Ruwee looked at him, slightly taken aback, "Of course not."

"It's just that it seems her association with me has brought a lot of problems her way," Anakin said, looking down at his feet.

"You know Padme, she'd be in the thick of things anyway," Ruwee said. Anakin didn't say anything. Ruwee patted him on the back, "I hope you aren't thinking of doing anything rash my dear boy." Anakin shook his head, realizing what he was saying to Padme's father, "No, no. Just wanted to make sure there were no…hard feelings about her marriage to me."

"All I want is my daughter to be happy," Ruwee said.

"Good morning," Padme said as she walked down the stairs.

"Good morning darling," Ruwee said, standing up and kissing his daughter on the cheek. "I'll go start caf."

"Oh I can do that dad," she said.

"No I insist."

"Good morning," Anakin said.

"Morning honey," she said as she sat down on the couch and kissed him.  
"Oh you found the holo album," she said, lacing her arm around his.  
"Yeah and there's a picture I was a little curious about," he said, flipping to the page with the picture of Padme and the boy. "Who's that?"

"Oh," Padme said. Her smile vanished. "That'd be Ian."

"The Ian you told me about?"

"Yes," she said stiffly.

"I didn't realize you two were so close."

"Well, we went out but I ended it."  
"Over what?"

"Anakin," she said.

"What? I'm just asking a question I'm not mad at the fact that you dated someone before we were together. That'd be a little insane."  
"Well it's just that you tend to get jealous sometimes," Padme said.

"Oh come on, again, how crazy would it be for me to be jealous of some kid who was with you like ten years ago?"

"You're right, I'm sorry. We broke up because his father was King Veruna's prime counselor and it just wasn't appropriate for us to be dating."

"Come to think of it, we should take a holo of your new family to put in the album, Padme," Ruwee said as he came in carrying a tray of cups.

"Yes that's a really good idea," Padme said excitedly. "We should do it soon, I think we're going to leave today."

"Oh, really?" Ruwee said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Yes, we really need to get back to the base," she said.  


* * *

Anakin and Ashoka walked down the long, windowed hallway. Outside, Alderaan was green and bright, much like Chommell had been. Anakin, Ashoka, Obi-Wan and Padme had arrived on Alderaan to bring Han to the Organa's. There was also a meeting among the senators who had formed the rebel alliance and the Jedi had come to join.

"Have we raised enough troops to attack?" Ashoka asked.  
"That's what we'll find out in an hour," Anakin said. At the moment only the senate was meeting along with Obi-Wan. They would be invited to join to discuss the more logistical aspect of the rebellion.

"Can't we just attack? I don't like all of the senate involvement. They take too long," she said, scrunching up her face. Anakin laughed, "Patience, my former padawan." Ashoka snorted, "Yes, you're the most patient person I know, master." Anakin smiled, "I've become patient and, if I do say so myself, quite wise. Once you become as talented as I, you will learn patience."

"Patient, wise. You forgot to mention humble," Ashoka said sarcastically. A blast flew through the window, shattering it. Ashoka wheeled around and ignited her lightsaber just in time to see Boba Fett flying away.

"Get back here," she yelled. She began to run after him but noticed that Anakin wasn't next to her. He was lying on the ground, quite still.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All characters belong to George.  


* * *

"Help," Ashoka yelled as she knelt beside Anakin. His eyes were closed. He had been hit square in the chest from the blast.

"Anakin," she said, shaking him. "Wake up, come on." He didn't move. She grabbed his wrist to check for a pulse. Her heart leapt, he was alive but his pulse was very weak and getting weaker.

"Come on Anakin don't die," she whispered. His heartbeat slowed more. Tears stung her eyes. It wasn't fair. How could such a great Jedi be killed like this, not even in battle?

"Anakin," Obi-Wan yelled as he ran in the room. He kneeled beside Anakin.

"He's alive but barely," Ashoka said. Bail and Padme ran into the room as well.

"What happened?" she asked. She knelt down and put his head in her lap.

"Boba Fett, he found us," Ashoka said frantically.

"Then we need to get out of here," Obi-Wan said.

"He needs to see a doctor," Ashoka said.

"It's only a blaster wound, the medical droid on the Falcon is equipped to deal with it," Obi-Wan said. He picked up Anakin and put him over his shoulder. "He'll be fine. Right now we need to get out of here," he said to Padme, who was staring at him in shock. She nodded, "Bail I'm afraid you'll have to continue the meeting without me. Please tell me what goes on."

"Of course," Bail said. "Though I don't think it would be wise to leave at this moment."

"Boba was no doubt sent by the Sith. I'm sure he just called Ventress and she's coming to kill us. I can't take her without Anakin, especially if she brought more bounty hunters."

* * *

"Blast," Obi-Wan said as he noticed a large ship following them. They had been flying for about ten minutes and had not yet reached hyperspace.

"Padme," he called. She was sitting with Anakin in the small medical room the ship had. He still had not awoken, but the medical droid claimed that he would be all right.

"Yes?" she said, walking into the control room.

"How's he doing? I could really use his help right now," Obi-Wan said with a bit of panic in his voice.  
"He hasn't woken up yet or anything. Is everything okay?" she asked sadly.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said. "And it appears we have a guest." Ashoka walked in the room and immediately took the controls, "I'll handle this," she said confidently.

"Ashoka nothing too risky," Obi-Wan said.

"You wouldn't tell Anakin that."

"Yes well Anakin is the only human who can podrace and he still makes me nervous," Obi-Wan retorted.

"Relax," she said.

"I'm going to check on Anakin," Padme said. The medical room seemed colder than the rest of the ship. It was, as most of the starship, sterile looking and filled with gray metal. She sat and took his hand, his real one, not the mechanical one. He was breathing with the help of a machine and a large plastic mask covered his nose and mouth. To her surprise, his eyes fluttered open at her touch. He smiled weakly at her.

"Hello there," he said. She attempted to smile at him, but the tears fell first.

"Hey," he said, pulling off his mask and stroking her cheek. "I'm okay now, see?" She nodded but continued crying.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "It's just I was so scared. I was holding it back but I was so relieved that you're okay it all just hit me."

"I've been hurt worse," he said, smiling reassuringly at her.

"I know, I know," she said. "It's just that I've never had to see it before."

"Angel, I promise you. Some teenage bounty hunter isn't going to be the one who kills me." The ship lurched and Padme nearly fell out of her chair. "What was that?" Anakin said, getting up.

"Woah woah woah," Padme said, putting a hand on his chest. "You aren't moving."

"Padme," he said, continuing to get out of bed despite her attempts to hold him back. "I'm fine. Even if I weren't, we'll all be dead if I don't go see what the hell Obi-Wan is doing with this ship." He quickly walked out of the medical room before she could protest.

"What's going on?" He asked Obi-Wan and Ashoka.

"You're okay!" Ashoka exclaimed, jumping up to hug him. She stepped back quickly when she realized what she was doing. He was still kind of her master, affection was inappropriate.

"Yeah, never been better. Now what's going on?" Anakin asked, sitting behind the controls.

"We're being followed by what I believe is Boba Fett's ship. He hasn't attacked yet but I believe he will soon," Obi-Wan said.

"No problem," Anakin said as he spotted a nearby slew of asteroids. "We're going to have some fun."

"Anakin be careful," Obi-Wan said nervously as Anakin flew right into the asteroids.  
"He's still there," Anakin said. The ship shook as it was hit. "Uh oh," Anakin said.

"I'll go to a blaster," Padme said.

"So will I," Obi-Wan said. The ship shook with another blast, "Shields are out," Ashoka reported. Suddenly blasts hit Boba's ship from the combined firepower of Obi-Wan and Padme. The Falcon was getting farther and farther away from it until it no longer came up on the radar.

"We lost him," Anakin said.  


* * *

"Oh I'm so glad to see you two," Padme said, hugging Luke and Leia in their cribs.

"How did everything go?" Khaleen asked.

"Well, we ran into Boba Fett and he shot Anakin. Thank gods Anakin's fine but we had to leave Alderaan a bit faster than was intended," Padme said, picking up the crying Leia.

"What did you decide in the meeting?"

"We found that we now have enough troops to attack. We're calling all of them to meet on Hoth in two months to tell them the plan of action and then to carry it out."

"Wow, soon," Khaleen said. Korto began crying and she gently picked him up.

"Yes. I'm not sure of the exact details of the battle. I believe the Jedi are going to figure that out," Padme said.  
"How's Anakin doing?"  
"I don't know. I can't tell if he really is fine or if he's just telling me he's okay so I don't worry," Padme sighed and put Leia back into her crib. "How has Quinlan dealt with everything?"

"I think he's just determined to end this so we can get on with our lives," Khaleen said.

"If the order is restored, do you think he'll stay with it?" Padme asked. She was genuinely curious. She had been wondering what Anakin would do if the Jedi made a comeback. Would he choose to be in the Order and push a change in rules for things like marriages, or would he abandon that life?

"I don't know," Khaleen said. "I don't know what he would do instead, but he wasn't very happy in the Order."

"Neither was Anakin."

"Yes, but Anakin was such a hero. People loved him, looked up to him. No on really paid much attention to Quinlan," Khaleen said.  
"Anakin's grown out of the hero thing. Yeah, I know he loved the attention back then but as the war went on he got less and less enthusiastic about it," Padme said sadly. "Now I think he just wants to be with us."

"We should discuss the coming attack," Obi-Wan said as he walked into the room.

"Good idea," Khaleen said. They walked into the circular war room.

"The senators have decided that we have enough troops to form an attack," Padme said. "Contact anyone who you recruited and tell them to come to the base in Hoth in two months. We've also discovered some of the emperor's plans. He is building some sort of ship called the Tarkin. It is to be used as a super weapon to help him control the galaxy better. We believe that he will be building more of these."

"Did they discuss any logistics?" Mace asked.

"No. We were about to when Fett attacked," Obi-Wan said.

"Here's what I was thinking," Anakin began. He was still extremely pale and weak looking. He flinched as he leaned forward in his chair but kept talking. "We stage an initial attack on the Tarkin. We'll need to knock out anyone in his chain of command. That includes Ventress. Do we know of any others in his high command?"

"Yes, a man named Wilhuff Tarkin, whom the ship is named after," Obi-Wan said. "He has created Moffs who control the sectors under the empire. Tarkin is the grand moff, so basically the leader. We have discovered his hierarchy, which consists of about four positions beside himself, Ventress and Tarkin. There's the Grand Vizier who is a man named Sate Prestage and the Imperial Ruling Council, which is about five men."

"I think we should divide up who to attack. I'll take Palpatine," Anakin said.

"Anakin that would be unwise," Mace said.  
"Why? I'm a higher level than everyone in this room in combat," Anakin said angrily.

"Outrank everyone, you do not," Yoda said.

"You're right, I'm sorry master Yoda. You and I are the same level," Anakin conceded.

"I suggest that you, Obi-Wan and I take him. Our combined efforts will not fail. Yoda will take Ventress and any bounty hunters with her. I anticipate that it will be an easy victory," Mace said.

"What about me?" Ashoka asked.

"Yeah, and me. What's your great plan?" Quinlan said.

"Quinlan, you can take Tarkin and Ashoka the high council. However, the two may be together," Mace said.

"I can infiltrate the ship, free any prisoners and get some information," Padme said.

"Padme, I don't think you should be involved in the fighting," Anakin said.

"Anakin we will discuss this later," she said, glaring at him.

"Then it's settled," Mace said.

* * *

"She doesn't listen to me, master," Anakin said as he swung his lighsaber to block Obi-Wan's. They were sparring, something Obi-Wan suggested to clear both of their heads.

"She's very strong willed, I know you know that," Obi-Wan said, ducking as Anakin nearly took off his head. "Easy."

"Sorry master. And yeah I know that she's strong willed but she must realize that someone needs to take care of the twins," Anakin said.

"I think that all of this has been too much change for her. She wants to help like she always does, act as if nothing has changed."

"As if it hasn't been hard on me too," Anakin said angrily. He swung hard and Obi-Wan's lightsaber flew out of his hand. He held the blade up to Obi-Wan's throat for a minute before extinguishing it and leaning against the wall, panting.

"You're very angry. Palpatine will sense it, use it against you," Obi-Wan said, retrieving his lightsaber.

"So what?" Anakin yelled, losing his temper. "I'm sick of hearing about what Palpatine will do to me, okay? I get it. Part of me doesn't even want to pick up this lightsaber up again." He threw it at the wall. Obi-Wan just looked at Anakin as he sank down to the floor. He thought that Anakin's tantrums had left when he became a Jedi knight, or at least a father.

"Anakin, control your feelings," Obi-Wan said sternly.

"I'm sorry. You're right," Anakin said.  
"If he senses your anger he will use your family against you. You must control your emotions." Anakin didn't say anything.

"Shall we go again?" Obi-Wan asked, igniting his lightsaber. Anakin got up, retrieved his lightsaber, and attacked.

* * *

"Good people of the Imperial Galaxy," Palpatine started. Holonet reporters and cameras circled around him as he addressed the crowd that had gathered for his weekly announcement. He was on Naboo speaking in the large square outside the castle. "It is with pleasure that I announce that we have made a great step in destroying the Jedi and the Rebels. The bounty hunter Boba Fett in a gallant battle has killed Anakin Skywalker. Fett discovered Skywalker after he had killed Senator Padme Amidala. With her loss brings great sorrow, but I'm sure that she will be happy knowing that her killer and Jedi traitor has been brought to justice." The crowd was quiet. "This is a great triumph," Palpatine added. Suddenly a young man in the crowd began booing.

"Long live the hero with no fear," he yelled. Others joined in the booing.

"He killed your beloved senator Amidala," Palpatine said. He was beginning to get worried, he needed the peoples support.

"Lies!" the young man yelled.

* * *

"Anakin, Obi-Wan, come quickly," Ashoka called. They followed her into the circular war room. The others were watching the viewscreen that sat on the wall.

"Look," she said, pointing to the viewscreen. A young female holoreporter was speaking.

"Emperor Palpatine announced today to a large crowd in Naboo that Jedi master and, to some, war hero Anakin Skywalker was killed by a bounty hunter," she said. "He reported that before Skywalker's death, he killed Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo." Anakin clenched his jaw.

"At the news of this, a riot broke out in the square protesting the death of Skwalker and calling Amidala's demise a lie as well."

"This is good," Obi-Wan said.

"Palpatine has brought clone troops and Armored Assault Tanks into the square to control the protesters. This has only inflamed the protestors more," she said. An image of a man standing in front of the tanks to halt them was shown followed by images of people throwing rocks at the clones and ransacking storefronts.

"The clones have returned violence. I must say, some of the following images are extremely graphic and may not be appropriate for some viewers," the reporter said. Images of the clones taking down hundreds of people with their blasters were shown. Smoke bombs were thrown into crowds and the tanks began just running over people in their way. Padme gasped and looked away. Anakin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Despite the violence, this is a good sign. People will begin to question the Emperor's rule more closely now and support us more willingly," Mace said.

"Yes but at what cost? Naboo will be wracked with violence now," Padme said bitterly.

"Sometimes that is the price we have to pay," Anakin said.

"Still don't like it," she mumbled, shaking his hand off her shoulder. He glared at her and she looked back at him for a moment, giving him the same look.

"She we respond? Tell them that Padme and Anakin are alive?" Ashoka asked.

"Unwise that would be," Yoda said.

"Yes, I'm afraid I agree. Palpatine may actually think that Anakin's dead. It will work for us in the long run. It will be easier to surprise him," Obi-Wan said.

"What about Padme? She could be a symbol for the people to keep resisting," Anakin suggested, smiling at her. She returned a cold look and Anakin resumed the expression one might have when visiting the deathbed of a close friend.

"The Holonet is being controlled by Palpatine, I'm surprised he even let them show this. He would not allow the senator to be shown to the public," Mace said.

* * *

"Padme, listen to me," Anakin said as they walked into their bedroom. "You need to stay and take care of the kids. I've let you do a lot of stupid things but this is something that I'm not going to fold on." He crossed his arms and watched her as she fed Leia.

"Fine," she said.

"Wait, really?" he said, surprised. "That was easy." She glared at him, "Do you want me to change my mind?"

"No, no, I'm sorry."

"As much as I hate sitting around when others are fighting, I know I need to for Luke and Leia."

"Why were you making such a big deal about it earlier?"

"Because to be honest I'm terrified for you. I'm so worried and the only way I know how to deal with that is to get in control of the situation," she said. "I've been having a lot of mood swings lately. Like when…" She trailed off and stared at him.

"Mood swings?" he asked nervously. "Like when you were pregnant?" She didn't say anything. "Padme could you be pregnant again?"

"I don't know," she said. "I mean the twins were born three months ago."

"I don't think that matters," he said.  
"Well, we don't need to deal with this right now," she said.

* * *

Anakin stormed into the training room where he found Obi-Wan. He ignited his lightsaber and swung at him. Obi-Wan quickly drew his own and blocked Anakin's blade.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked.

"Bad mood," Anakin growled.

"Padme?"

"She's fine," Anakin said dismissively. He was fighting much more aggressively than usual and at times Obi-Wan was afraid he was actually going to hurt him.

"Oh?" Obi-Wan asked. He swung and Anakin's lightsaber flew out of his hand. Obi-Wan caught it. Anakin sighed, "She might be pregnant again," he mumbled.

"You guys don't waste any time," Obi-Wan said, laughing slightly.

* * *

Two months and one week passed. They were traveling to Hoth to meet the Rebel forces and the other senators. They had met the week before for training and they would stage their attack the next day. Padme was indeed pregnant again. Anakin had only told Obi-Wan because he and Padme had agreed that if he was killed by Palpatine she would get rid of it. Anakin was in charge of the space attack, leading the rebels until he was able to get on the ship. He would be accompanied by Mace, Obi-Wan, Ashoka and Quinlan. Imperial troops were still stationed in Naboo and their presence was a hostile one. Asajj Ventress was overseeing them and had taken up residence in the palace, taking the queen and her court hostage. Yoda was to lead the attack on Naboo, infiltrating the palace. Anakin wasn't able to sleep the night before the battle.

"_You will fail and they will die," _the voice said. _"You should run. Run with your family. That's the only way they'll be safe."_ He wanted to run. Run and never look back. But, of course, Padme would not allow him. He got up and walked to Luke and Leia's cribs. They may never know him. They may resent him. He would be the reason they had to hide. He thought of the things he would miss should he fail. He'd never hear their first words; never see the first time they picked up a lightsaber. They'd grow up and get their own families; their own lives and he would never see it.

"Anakin?" Padme whispered as she realized he was no longer next to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't want to wake you," he said. "I was just saying goodbye."

"You'll see them tomorrow," she said. He half-smiled. She had been avoiding the subject of him fighting Palpatine for days, even when directly spoken to about it.

"I have to go soon," he said, trying to keep his voice from breaking. She got out of bed and hugged him, "I'll see you soon."

"I love you so much," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you too."

"If I don't come back," he started.

"No," she said. "No, you will come back."

"Padme, if I don't," he pushed on. "If I don't make it back I want you to move on. Let me finish," he said as she began to talk. "I want you to marry some great guy who's a lawyer or an architect or a doctor. Someone who will have a normal life with you. I want you to have kids and I want Luke and Leia to grow up knowing who I am, but I want you to forget exactly how much you loved me. I want you to stop feeling raw about it. I want you to grow old, have grandchildren and someday a hundred years from now die peacefully in your sleep, long before your husband so that you wont be widowed twice in your life. Promise that you will do that for me." Tears rolled down her cheek and she bit her lip. She nodded and he kissed her.

"This isn't goodbye. If I die, I'll be with you until you want me to leave," he said. He put on his cloak and kissed Luke and Leia. He sighed as he looked back at the now sobbing Padme. He force a smile, "Be seeing you." He turned and walked out the door, willing himself not to look back. It reminded him of when he left his mother. He knew that if he looked back, he wouldn't be able to leave. So he kept walking. As he walked down the hallway, Obi-Wan came out of his own room and joined him. He didn't say anything at the look on Anakin's face. In truth, Obi-Wan had been jealous of Anakin's family. They were so happy and deep down, Obi-Wan always wanted children. However, at this moment Obi-Wan didn't envy Anakin at all. He couldn't imagine how hard it would be to leave a wife and small children, possibly forever.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to George.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan walked into the hanger. It was filled with people wearing bright orange jumpsuits and helmets painted with the rebel insignia.

"Hello Anakin," Kitster said.

"I thought you weren't coming," Anakin said excitedly, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, sorry I'm a little late. I had to close some things up on Tatooine."

"Well, I'm glad you're here now. Obi-Wan, this is my old friend Kitster. Kitster this is Obi-Wan," Anakin said. "We're going to get things started here, we can talk a lot more later." Anakin walked to the podium and awkwardly waited for things to quiet down. Mace, Obi-Wan and Quinlan stood next to him. The troops kept milling about and talking, paying no attention to the Jedi.

"Everyone shut up," Quinlan yelled. A wave of silence fell around the room. All eyes turned to Anakin.

"Uh okay," he said. "The plan is this. Palpatine is on the Tarkin. It is our mission to kill him and his advisors. We need you to provide a distraction by attacking the ship. If you see an opportunity to blow it up, do not hesitate to do so even if we are still on it. Red team, it is your job to break the ships shield so we can get in. Now, go to your ships." Mace clicked on his holoprojector, which showed a hologram of the schematics of the ship.

"We will trick them into thinking that we are going directly into the hanger after breaking the shield. However, the senate intelligence has shown that there are hatches here and here," he said, pointing to two small spots on the ship. "Anakin, Obi-Wan and I will go here," he pointed to a spot, "And Ashoka and Quinlan will enter here. We will send R2-D2 in before us and disable the cameras. Wait for our signal and then enter." He pointed to another spot, "Palpatine is most likely stationed here, which is a level up from the place of entry. The high council is likely to be here which is about a hallway down from where you will enter and Tarkin is likely in the war room. If they are not there, attempt to take a clone hostage and get information. When you finish, call for the others and tell them. If there is no response, assume they are dead and set bombs around the ship as you leave. Try to get them in critical areas. The last person out should be the one to set the bombs. Communicate with each other on your comlinks."

* * *

Anakin landed on the Larger ship with ease. The battle was taking place on the other side of the huge ship for the most part, distracting them from any other visitors. He flew a smallish ship that had three seats. Obi-Wan and Mace were in charge of the blaster canons. Anakin opened the latch and slipped in first, looking around for any clones or guards. The hallway was deserted. He waved Obi-Wan and Mace in.

"Okay, now we need to get to a turbolift," Mace said.

"There," Obi-Wan said, pointing down a hallway. They ran to it. As the doors slid open, they were greeted by about ten clone troops. The Jedi made short work of them and got into the elevators, closing the doors quickly.

* * *

"The war room is this way," Quinlan said, pointing to the left.

"And the council is supposed to be this way," Ashoka said, pointing the other way.

"I guess this is goodbye. Whoever finishes first will go and help the other," Quinlan said. Ashoka nodded, "May the Force be with you." She ran down the hallway, following the directions Mace had given her. She jumped behind a small pillar when she saw that there were two Red Guards stationed outside of the room.

"_Perfect," _she thought. There was no way she could attack them without making a huge commotion.

"Artoo are you there?" she whispered into her comlink. The droid beeped in response.

"I need you to make a distraction, I'm on the first floor. Sector B." The droid beeped again. She nervously looked around the pillar. It wouldn't be long until someone walked down the hallway and her cover would be blown. A few minutes later, Artoo came beeping by the Guards. As they saw him he turned and rolled away.

"Hey," one of them said, beginning to follow the beeping droid. Ashoka seized her chance and darted out from behind the pillar, killing both of them.

"Thanks Artoo," she said. She stood in front of the door. This was it. She had no idea what would meet her when she opened the door, were the only guards they had the two she just killed?

"_Only one way to find out,"_ she thought. She slid the door open with the force and ignited her lightsaber. She was met with blasts from a tall, thin and extremely white woman. A ponytail of red hair came out of her skull. The men in the Council cowered away from the young Jedi.

"Aurra Sing," Ashoka hissed.

* * *

Yoda and a group of troops entered the castle through a large window. They shattered through it and immediately began firing on the clone troops. Yoda calmly walked through all of the mayhem. He had noticed that in war, people were generally too distracted to pay attention to a three-foot tall old man when he wasn't drawing attention to himself. He casually cut down some clones as he passed by, but only if necessary. It was so messy, war; so uncivilized. He walked up the large, ornate staircase and into the throne room. Asajj Ventress was sitting in the Queen's chair overlooking the battlefield.

"Master Yoda, how nice of you to join me," she said, still facing the window.

"All mine, the pleasure is, Ventress," Yoda said, tossing his cane aside and igniting his emerald blade. Ventress stayed looking out the window when suddenly she sprang out of her seat, flipping through the air and igniting her red blade. She lunged at Yoda with all of her might. Yoda easily blocked her blade, "Taught well, you were."

"Yes, some say I'm even better with the sword than you," she said, backing off and circling him.

"A great feat, that would be," Yoda conceded. She lunged at him again. He jumped into the air and flew over her head, swinging his lightsaber. This caught her off guard and she barely had enough time to block him. His lighsaber grazed her shoulder and she cried out in pain at the burn.

"Overly confident, you are," Yoda said. Asajj snarled and staggered at him, swinging her lightsaber clumsily. Yoda gracefully spun around, swinging his lightsaber over his head. Asajj gasped.

* * *

They crept over the large bridge. Obi-Wan took care of the guards stationed at either side, stabbing two of them and using the Force to pull the ones on the opposite side over the side of the bridge.

"I will go in first," Mace whispered as they reached the door. "Anakin take anyone else who's there. Obi-Wan can focus on Palpatine initially until we kill everyone else. Got it?" Obi-Wan and Anakin nodded. They burst in, lightsabers drawn and ready to attack. To their surprise, they were not met with blasts or attackers.

"Hello gentlemen," a booming voice said. Palpatine swiveled around in his large, black chair to face them. He smiled menacingly from under his hood.

"Palpatine," Mace said. "Where are your protectors?" He walked closer to Palpatine, who remained seated.

"I like to not surround myself with them so any attackers I receive I can kill myself. However, they'll be arriving shortly as there are three of you. I don't want anyone to feel left out," Palpatine said. "Hello Anakin. Good to see you alive, I was worried what had happened to my future apprentice."

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Anakin said.

"Congratulations on the birth of your children. Luke and Leia, is it?" Palpatine asked coolly. Anakin clenched his jaw but said nothing. He gripped his lightsaber tighter. Palpatine sighed and stood up, "We should get this over with." He reached for his lightsaber but suddenly two bounty hunters ran in. Anakin recognized one as Boba Fett. The other was a reptilian looking alien. Anakin and Obi-Wan wheeled around to face the them, but Obi-Wan was hit by force lighting form Palpatine. He was lifted into the air and hit the wall hard. He slid to the ground and didn't move. Anakin cut off the hand of the reptilian bounty hunter and then his head. He rounded on Boba. The bounty hunter shot at him, but in Anakin's anger he charged at him, mercilessly swinging. Boba's head fell to the floor. Anakin then turned to Palpatine. He and Mace were locked in intense combat. They were inches away, each trying to force their lightsaber into the other's face. Anakin ran to join, but before he could Palpatine sent a quick blast of force lighting at Mace's face. Mace quickly moved the block it with his lightsaber, squinting his eyes at the light it caused. Palpatine saw his chance and took it. He stabbed Mace in the now exposed part of his stomach. Anakin gasped. Mace's mouth opened as if to scream, his eyes wide. Palpatine force pushed him into the wall and he fell with a thud, his eyes still wide open in realization of what had happened.

* * *

Quinlan burst into the war room. The second he did it he realized it was a mistake. The room was filled with clones and guards. He quickly vanquished the clones, but the guards were much harder. There were seven of them and they each attacked at the same time. Quinlan ducked as one swung a force pike as his head. He cut down three of them and grabbed a force pike. He stabbed two quickly through the helmet. However, as he was preoccupied with stabbing a second one he was hit in the arm with a force pike. He cried out in pain and dropped the force pike he took, his left arm rendered useless. He quickly spun and cut the guard who stabbed him in half.

"And now," he said, turning on Tarkin, "You die."

* * *

Ashoka panted as she blocked Aurra's blasts.

"Getting tired little girl?" Aurra taunted. Ashoka force pushed her into the wall and she banged her head hard. Aurra growled and aimed another blast at Ashoka. She drew a lightsaber from her belt and ignited it. She slowly started circling Ashoka.

"I've been trained as a Jedi," she said menacingly. She stopped walking and Ashoka ran at her. Aurra gracefully swung as well and nearly cut off Ashoka's arm. They exchanged blows for a few minutes before Aurra pulled away.

"I grow tired of this," she said. She lunged at Ashoka but instead of attacking her with the lightsaber, pulled out a gun. Ashoka was ready for this and pulled the gun out of her hand with the force. As she caught it, she swung it around and shot Aurra in the head. She fell to the ground, dead. She turned to the men who were attempting to run out of the door that was being held closed by Artoo.

"Going somewhere?" she said.

* * *

Asajj screamed in rage as she looked down at the lightsaber buried in her stomach.

"No!" she screamed. She sent force lightning at Yoda, who pulled out his lightsaber and blocked it. It bounced off of his lightsaber and hit Asajj. She writhed in pain, snarling at Yoda but finally fell to the ground.

"Such a waste, this is," Yoda murmured as he turned and walked away.

* * *

The huge ship shook from a large blast it received.

"Join me, Anakin and rule the galaxy. I will never stop hunting your family, and when I find them believe me, I will make their deaths as drawn out and painful as possible. Perhaps I'll take your children, train them as Sith."

"Joining the darkside would kill her anyway," Anakin hissed.

"Suit yourself," Palpatine said. He looked at Anakin for a minute before he attacked, quickly slashing his blade. He swung his red lightsaber in some of the hardest moves Anakin had ever faced, but he met every one. As they fought Palpatine pulled down pillars to hit Anakin. He caught each with one hand, effortlessly tossing them to the side.

His lightsaber barely missed Palpatine's head as he swung it, but the old man ducked just in time. Palpatine hissed and brought another pillar down. This time it was not aimed at Anakin but at Obi-Wan. The pillar was much bigger than the others and Anakin struggled to keep it from crushing his former master. Palpatine took advantage of this momentary distraction and hit Anakin with force lighting. Anakin fell to his knees and his lightsaber slipped out of his hand. Palpatine walked up to him and kicked his lightsaber away, cackling. He raised his long and wrinkled fingers again and sent more lightning at Anakin, causing him to on his face. He attempted to get up but his arms couldn't support his weight. Palpatine put his boot on Anakin's back, forcing him to lie flat on his stomach. He could feel the heat of Palapatine's lightsaber at his neck. He realized that this was the end. He had failed, and now his family would suffer. He remembered hearing that before death your life flashes before your eyes. His family's life flashed before his. He saw Leia growing up and speaking before hundreds of people as a senator or some sort of leader, he couldn't tell. He saw her marrying a tall man with brown hair and being walked down the aisle by a man Anakin didn't recognize. He saw Luke wielding a lightsaber and becoming a full fledged Jedi, restoring the Order. His heart sank as he saw Padme. She was standing on Naboo, looking over the lake. Her beauty and youth had faded and she looked like the shell of the human she once was. A man who Anakin didn't recognize came out and kissed her. He noticed that in all of their faces he did not see happiness. He also saw Palpatine torturing them; saw Luke and Leia wielding red lightsabers. No, he could not let that happen.

"_Then just get up," the voice said. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and just get up."_

"Any last words?" Palpatine said, standing above Anakin with his lightsaber at his throat. He could sense Palpatine swinging his red blade up and Anakin called his lightsaber to his hand with the force. He ignited it and in a blur of motion stabbed Palpatine in the stomach. As he cried out, Palpatine lowered his blade and Anakin swung again, taking off his head. Relief washed over him as he looked down at the former Sith lord. He did it. The Emperor was dead. In his relief he remembered the still possibly living Obi-Wan. He ran to him, hoping it was not too late.

"Master," he said, cradling Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes and squinted at Anakin. He looked at Anakin through the slits and took a shallow breath.

"You did wonderfully," Obi-Wan whispered.

"Are you okay?" Anakin asked.

"All in all I'd rather be on Chommell," Obi-Wan said, chuckling slightly and then wincing from the pain.

"Chommell?" Anakin asked, confused.

"That's where I'm from," Obi-Wan said. He stared into space and began laughing again, "It's funny the thoughts you have when you're dying. I just saw my brother; he was beating me in a game of Dejarik. It was lurid, really, I always won."

"You're going to be fine. I'll take you back and you'll be okay," Anakin said as he lifted Obi-Wan over his shoulder.

"It's too late Anakin," Obi-Wan said weakly. Anakin didn't respond. His comlink beeped, "Anakin, do you copy?" Ashoka asked.

"Yes, I'm here," Anakin panted as he ran down the hallway.

"Did you do it?"

"Yes, but Master Windu is dead and Obi-Wan is critically wounded. I'll place the bombs on my way out but get out of here." He placed bombs every ten feet of the ship as he ran. If it did not completely destroy the ship, it should at least devastate it enough for them to have to make a crash landing on Naboo and kill nearly everyone inside. He carefully placed Obi-Wan in the ship. Artoo gave him an alarmed sounding chirp.

"I know, I know," he said. As he flew away he stopped for a minute to look back at the exploding ship. It was beautiful and horrible all at once. He flipped on radio, "Troops, this is commander Skywalker. We're done here now."


	15. Chapter 15

Dislaimer: All characters belong to George.

* * *

_One week later._

Anakin opened his eyes to the sound of Luke crying in the next room. Padme wasn't next to him anymore. Her white pillow was wrinkled and still showed the slight indent that her head had caused as she slept. He got up and stretched his arms to the ceiling, spreading out his fingers. He stood up and opened the ornate white curtains that were blocking the sunlight from shining in the room. Their bedroom overlooked a beautiful Naboo garden and a large, shimmering lake. He walked into the kitchen, which was filled with windows that illuminated the room with natural light.

"Morning," he said to Padme, who was playing with Luke on the carpeted floor of the living room.

"Good morning Anakin," she said.

"How late is it?" he said sleepily as he noticed that Padme was fully dressed and her hair already done.

"It's around twelve."

"Why didn't you wake me up? I have a lot to do," he said irritably.

"Wow you've been up for four minutes and you're already picking a fight," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"I know. Besides, I'm sure the other four Jedi can survive without their newly appointed Grand Master waking the minute the sun comes up."

"Not officially Grand Master yet," Anakin said.

"Well you know that Obi-Wan will agree." Anakin looked at the floor at the mention of Obi-Wan's name. He had been in the hospital on Naboo since they got back. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness since then as he received the amount of electricity that could kill a normal human. It was a miracle he had made it this long. Padme walked over and rubbed his arm, "He's going to be fine." He nodded and reached down to pick up Leia. He lifted her up into the air and she laughed, squirming in his hands. His comlink began beeping. He handed Leia to Padme and clicked it on, "Anakin here."

"Anakin, it looks like Obi-Wan's going to be okay. He's awake right now and Master Yoda wants to discuss your new possible position. Can you get down here?" Ashoka asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," he said, clicking it off. He took a speeder to the hospital, figuring it would be the fastest way to go. It was close enough to walk to, but he had become quite a celebrity since his battle against Palpatine. He constantly was stared at or stopped on the street when he was in public. Even as he walked into the hospital people gaped at him, whispering and pointing as he walked by. He knocked lightly on the door of Obi-Wan's room before the metal door slid open. Ashoka, Yoda and Quinlan were seated in chairs around Obi-Wan's bed. Obi-Wan looked much better and had no visible signs of injury while Quinlan's arm was still hanging limp beside him. After being hit with the force pike there was great nerve damage and it was likely he would never regain full use of his left arm.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan said as he walked in. "We were just discussing your nomination to become Grand Master." Anakin nodded and pulled up a chair but didn't say anything.  
"What are your thoughts, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin shrugged, "Well, it's an honor, obviously. I'm a little uneasy about making such a big commitment with my family. I also am not sure I'm the most qualified person for the job."

"What?" Ashoka asked. "Who would be if not you or Master Yoda?"

"Well, Obi-Wan. He taught me everything I know and is a much more dedicated Jedi than I," Anakin said.

"Anakin, I was not the one who defeated the sith and basically saved all of us. I will not take this opportunity from you," Obi-Wan said.

"Yes but I didn't stick to the code. I married Padme, had children and to be honest there were many times I considered going to the dark side to save them or at least abandoning the Jedi council," Anakin argued.

"Yes, but you overcame all of those things. You served as the exception to the code. I would not have been able to do that," Obi-Wan said. Anakin sat silently for a minute, weighing his options.

"I guess I will accept. Obi-Wan, though, I want you to become the Master of the Order."

"I accept," Obi-Wan said, smiling.

"Okay, I think that we should meet in a week in Coruscant at the Temple to see the damage that was done. I think that we should also send out calls for any surviving Jedi to return to the Temple," Anakin said.

* * *

"Are you sure that appointing Anakin to be Grand Master is wise?" Quinlan asked Obi-Wan as they walked out of the hospital.

"I have faith that he is the right man for the job," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"But he said it best, he will be extremely busy. I wouldn't be able to take on those responsibilities with one kid, let alone three. Not to mention, he did break the code numerous times."  
"Anakin is a remarkable man. When he decides to do something, he does it. He did that with becoming a Jedi, marrying Padme and killing Palpatine," Obi-Wan said. Quinlan looked at him darkly, "And what if he decides to become a Sith?"

"Not Anakin. It's not in his character. Besides, as far as I'm concerned he already overcame that battle months ago when Palpatine confronted him."

* * *

Anakin and Ashoka were exploring the wreckage of the Temple. A week had passed since he had been elected Grand Master. The thick stench of death surrounded them. Decaying bodies and rubble still lay on the ground as a somber reminder of the massacre. After six months of decay, it was hard to find the identity of the slain fighters that no one had bothered cleaning up. Ashoka held the sleeve of her cloak up to her nose. The stench was overpowering.

"We should try to identify them, to make a list of who died here," Anakin said. "The deserve to be remembered." Anakin said, kneeling down beside a familiar Jedi. She was young. Her blond hair had fallen from its normal bun and lay strewn about, the exact way it must have been when she was killed. He looked sadly down at her, ignoring the foul stench.

"Did you know her?" he asked quietly. Ashoka shook her head, she could hardly tell what species the thing was. "She was a Padawan, her name was Bene. I met her on a mission about a year ago." He gently closed her eyes and stood up. "Not even younglings survived," he said as they walked into the next room. It was filled with tiny creatures wearing Jedi clothing. He looked away. He could stomach the stench of death and decay, watch thousands of people die before him, see his friends die and continue on but he couldn't look at the children. In some ways he was glad the children's parents likely would never know of this, would never truly feel the pain of losing a child. He hoped he never had to either. He walked on to the next room, not waiting for Ashoka to catch up with him. He quickly walked to the relief of the outdoors and welcomed the clean air.

"Anakin?" Ashoka asked. It wasn't like him to get shaken from dead bodies.

"Sorry. I'm alright," he said. "The clones can clean out the Temple and take detailed holos of the bodies so that we can identify them." After the fall of the Empire, the clones quickly returned to their normal roles as Republic troops. Anakin didn't like it. He had fought alongside many of those clones as brothers and earned their respect. It turned his stomach to think that they could turn against him so easily, just following orders.

"Ashoka, send a message out to the holonet that any surviving Jedi will be welcomed back at the Order."


	16. Chapter 16

NOTE: I have not yet decided if I will keep adding on chapters to the Pawn or if I will make a sequel to it with the following story line. If you like this story, keep looking for a sequel.

* * *

_Two years after Anakin defeated Palpatine and restored the Republic._

Anakin swung his lightsaber, forcing the young boy to duck and back off. Anakin lowered his weapon and circled him, "Do you give up?"

"Not yet," the boy said. He suddenly lunged at Anakin, swinging at his unprotected left side. Anakin quickly blocked the blow and the boy's white lightsaber flew into the air. Anakin caught it.

"Good, that was great," he said to the blonde Padawan. The boy who went by Whie Malreaux grimaced.

"I still didn't win," he said dejectedly.

"Keep in mind, my very young apprentice that while you are talented, few are a match for Master Skywalker," Obi-Wan said.

"I know, Master. It's just that I've fought Master Skywalker countless times and still haven't even come close to winning."

"You were close this time," Anakin said, only half lying. Whie had been compared to Anakin in his Force ability and he saw a lot of himself in the Padawan, especially in his competitiveness. Anakin being a little more than ten years older than him, they had formed a close bond.

"Yeah because you're distracted." The boy was quite perceptive. Anakin had a lot on his mind. The Jedi Order was nearly completely restored. Many Jedi had returned to the Order and many younglings were brought in to be trained. However, this sparked new hostilities toward the Jedi particularly among the separatists, who had too returned after their demise under Palpatine. Things in his own personal life hadn't been stellar with the twins reaching the right age to become trained as Jedi, something Padme objected to adamantly. Anakin had developed a second Temple on Naboo, partially for obvious personal reasons and partially because of the nature it was surrounded with. It upheld many more Jedi ideals about nature than the urban environment on Coruscant. It also made it much easier to teach the Padawans in field training.

"Distracted or not, you did a very good job. Now, I'm going to go home would either of you like to come with?" Anakin offered, hoping that neither would take him up on it.

"I may run back to Coruscant to look through the archives. There's something that's not adding up with our recent discussion in the Council," Obi-Wan said. Anakin nodded. They had received information that a new prime minister of the newly created Five Worlds had risen to power in some suspicious ways. The Five Worlds were a joining of Corellia, Selonia, Drall, Twin Worlds Tralus and Talus. The Jedi had helped establish this union peacefully after a small civil war, appointing a prime minister to be in charge of all of the worlds and smaller heads of state for each planet. The original prime minister had suddenly died of causes neither the Jedi nor the Republic were allowed to investigate as per certain cultural mandates. A man named Lither Fadol had seized power with the help of his own personal army and replaced the heads of state with military leaders of his world Corellia. In Anakin's opinion, Fadol was a dangerous, reactionary lunatic. He played on the peoples' fear of another painful civil war and their lack of powerful leadership, which had led to many economic hardships. However, some people saw him as a great white hope for the failing Five Worlds. The seizure of power was incredibly alarming to the Jedi and the Republic as the five worlds could create an extremely powerful army with their combined strengh. It was against the new code to discuss what happened in Council meetings with anyone who was not a Jedi Master or a senator, so Obi-Wan and Anakin had to be careful with what they said around Obi-Wan's padawan.

"In that case may I take the night off, Master?" Whie asked.

"Yes, I don't see why that would be a problem," Obi-Wan said. He bid goodbye to Anakin and Whie and left.

"Anakin, may I walk with you to your house? Only for a minute. I need to ask you something," Whie said.

"Of course," Anakin said. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible but he could think of no polite excuse to tell that to the Padawan.

"So, I know that the code says that you need to be a Knight to be in a relationship but I was wondering if there were any exceptions made ever," Whie said quickly. Anakin raised his eyebrows at the boy, "A strictly hypothetical question I presume?"

"Well…not exactly," Whie said quietly. Anakin looked at him to continue. "There's this girl, she's a Jedi too and I was just wondering if you would let us have a relationship. I'm only asking because I know you and Senator Amidala were involved when you were still a Padawan." Anakin sighed. He always felt slightly hypocritical with that new rule, but he would stand by it.

"Yes, Padme and I got married when I was still a padawan but I was much older than you. And I nearly fell to the Sith even after I became a Knight. It was a one in a million chance that nothing bad happened with my relationship with her. You know those visions you get in your dreams?" Anakin asked. The boy nodded, he sometimes saw the future. "Well, I have those too. Padme was pregnant at the time and I saw that she died while giving birth. It nearly turned me to the darkside and it was only by intervention of Padme and Obi-Wan that kept me from it. This is why I don't allow those who have not yet reached the rank of Knight to even begin discussing having a relationship. I'm sorry." He knew that this wouldn't matter to the boy. He had seen the two of them together and it looked like they were already dating. However, he wasn't about to stop him. He could watch the situation, much like he realized Obi-Wan had watched the situation between him and Padme. Obi-Wan admitted that he knew Anakin and Padme were together from finding him staying with her early in the morning in his sleep clothes on Naboo to the moments they would try to spend alone together when in Obi-Wan's presence.

"You should talk to Obi-Wan about it," Anakin suggested. Whie stifled a laugh, "Yeah, like he would even discuss it with me. At least you feel bad." Anakin just looked at the boy. He was a few inches shorter than him and extremely thin. His blonde hair matched Anakin's. His face grew worried and he looked up at Anakin, "You wont tell Obi-Wan, will you?" Anakin sighed and shook his head, "No. It's your job to tell Obi-Wan."

"Thank you, Master," Whie said, bowing his head slightly. "I will go back to the temple. Say hi to Padme-I mean-senator Amidala." Anakin smiled. Whie had quickly become a favorite of Padme's as he would often visit the house with Obi-Wan. It was always awkward to maintain the formalities of his new position, even after two years. It was no longer proper for Jedi far beneath him to call him by his first name or just simply his last name. It was always master something. Master Anakin, Master Skywalker, or just Master. As someone in his twenties, he didn't generally think of himself someone who would be called Master. Master's were old men hunched over canes, their faces wrinkled like crumpled up paper. He neared their large house. It had circular portions to it and conical roofs above each portion. It had always reminded him of old, primitive palaces he had seen pictures of in the archives. It was built of beige stone, as was typical of Naboo architecture. The lake next to it glittered in the reflection of the setting sun. As he walked up the cobblestone path to their house, a three-year-old blonde haired boy ran out. He jumped from stone to stone, testing the farthest he could jump from point to point.

"Daddy!" he yelled as he saw Anakin walking. He stopped his pretend game and ran towards his father, who caught him and hugged him.

"Daddy, Wilhelm did something he wasn't aposed ta do," Luke said quickly as Anakin carried him into the house.

"Oh yeah? What did your brother do?" Anakin asked, smiling at Luke's child talk.

"He, he, he," Luke stammered in his eagerness to report his little brother's crime.

"He decided to use the Force to knock over things," Padme said as she appeared in the doorway Anakin was about to walk through. He kissed her, setting Luke down.

"How was your day?" she asked him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiled at her, "It was good. How was yours?"

"Long," she said, taking his hand and leading him into the large window in the living room that looked into the backyard. Leia was playing with one of her friends whose name was escaping Anakin. "_Has to be something with a Q or an S,"_ he thought to himself.

"I come home from my meeting with the Queen and find our adorable youngest child levitating his lunch plate while Dorme's back was turned." Anakin shrugged at her, smiling. Wilhelm, though barely two, had exhibited great power far beyond his years. Padme was firmly against Anakin testing his midi-chlorian count, and he learned his lesson the last time. However, he didn't want to punish the boy for using the Force.

"I assume harsh discipline was involved," he said, laughing. She smiled back at him, "Yes as a matter of fact there was. He was sent to his room before nap time." Anakin gasped in mock amazement. She playfully hit him on the arm, "Anakin we need to teach him that he can't use his power that way."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Anakin said.

"Daddy!" Anakin and Padme looked in the direction of the voice and saw a small boy with brown curly hair. His blue eyes were piercing even in their drowsy state.

"Wilhelm," Anakin said. The boy ran up and hugged his father's legs. Padme sat on the couch and Wilhelm crawled into her lap.

"You are still supposed to be asleep little guy," she said to him.

"I'm not tired," he whined.

"Well alright, in a few hours it will be normal bedtime," Padme said, kissing the top of his head. Luke came running in the room, "Can Whilhelm and I go play outside?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes but stay out of the lake," Padme said, setting Wilhelm down. The two boys ran outside, Whilhelm stumbling slightly on his shorter legs.

"So," Anakin said, sitting down next to Padme.

"So," she said, kissing him again and resting her head on his shoulder. "You look stressed." He looked down at her hands, lacing his fingers through hers. He had been on Coruscant for the past two days, meeting with the Council and Bail Organa, who was now chancellor.

"I'm getting really worried about the Five Worlds," he admitted. Padme nodded, "We were discussing it in the senate meeting too. Fadol was quite insistent that he simply wants to make the Worlds more peaceful through his reforms. To me, it sounds like a dictatorship but to much of the senate it seems perfectly democratic."

"The Jedi are extremely paranoid. After the rise and fall of Palpatine too many worlds were left unstable and lacking good leaders. I'm afraid that he's convincing people he's solving the problem of not having a strong leader and they're so relieved they'll let him do whatever," Anakin agreed.

"Yes, exactly. I worry that weaker worlds will generate toward his power."

"He called for a meeting with me to take place in two days here in Naboo," he said. She noticed the disdain in his voice.

"I wonder what he wants to talk about," she said.

"I have no idea," Anakin said. There was a knock on the door.

"Oh I will get that, Master Ani," C-3PO said, shuffling to the door.

"No, Threepio, it's okay I'll get it," Anakin said, springing up.

"Oh hi Anakin, I didn't know you were back," a short blonde woman said after Anakin opened the door.

"Yes I just got back now," Anakin said. She was Leia's friend's mother and he couldn't remember her name either.

"Hey Criste," Padme said. "Leia and Kresta are playing outside. Would you like anything to drink?" She was careful to say every name so Anakin could catch it. She smiled as she saw relief wash over his face at the names.

"No, it's late," Criste said a bit pointedly. Padme looked taken aback at her tone but said nothing about it.

"I'll go get them," she said, walking into the backyard. Anakin noticed Criste glaring at him. He could sense her disdain for him, but had no idea why. He couldn't even remember her name, what was the worst thing he could have done?

"So, good weather lately," he said awkwardly, trying to make conversation.

"Indeed," she said, looking out the window. Leia let out a small squeal and ran to her father when she saw he was home. He picked her up and spun her around as she laughed.

"Come on Kresta we need to get home. Say thank you to Mrs. Skywalker," Criste said, grabbing her daughter's hand. Kresta said thank you and Criste swept her off.

"Daddy can you tell me a story?" Leia asked, pulling on her father's arm. He smiled at her, "I promise I will before bed okay?" Leia pouted.

"It'll be a good one," he reassured her.

"Okay," she mumbled. She ran off to play with Luke and Wilhelm, who were tormenting the ever-watchful C-3PO.

"What was that about?" he asked as Padme walked into the bedroom. She was taking her hair out of its intricate hairpiece, pulling out dozens of bobby pins.

"Hm?" she asked absently, avoiding the question.

"Criste," he said, leaning against the door as he watched her.

"Oh, that," she said. She stopped fixing her hair and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Some people are uncomfortable with your job, our lifestyle."

"What?" he asked angrily, walking towards her.

"Ani it's not a big deal. Some mothers just think that you bring a lot of danger to their kids so they like it more when you're not around," she said, going back to her hair.

"Padme that's ridiculous and I can't believe you're standing it."

"Anakin, there is nothing I can do. It's been really hard for Luke and Leia to find friends and I don't want to push away the ones who are willing to spend time here."

"So what is it?" he asked. "What is it about me that makes them so uncomfortable?"

"Ani, think about it. On the news they always hear about you fighting some guy, saving this and that. They recognize the danger in that and don't like the fact that their kids are around it. They're uncomfortable with me too. With how much power I have and how I do much more than just be someone's wife and mother. But since I was the queen and am a senator they tend to trust me more. They're people of tradition. The father is supposed to have a normal job, come home at a normal time. The mother is supposed to stay home and take care of the children, not be some famous politician. Plus we're about ten years younger than every other parent, which makes them nervous," she said. He didn't say anything to her, he was so angry. He was sick of people judging him. It wasn't diffucult to find chronos featuring him and Padme on the cover reporting some gossip going around about them. People loved them. Their youth and attractiveness, they ate it up. He could deal with gossip and rumors from people had had never met and would never know, but he hated seeing it in his own personal life. Padme stood up and kissed him, "Anakin, you have to just shake some things off sometimes. I don't like it but I'll tolerate it for the kids." He nodded. He had gotten used to people treating him differently after becoming Grand Master, either treating him with more respect or disdain. It just hurt to know that he could be jeopardizing his kids. He suddenly looked around. He could sense something in the yard, something he didn't recognize.

"Anakin?" Padme asked, slightly alarmed at his look. He turned and ran into the yard to see a tall, brown haired man talking to Leia. The man looked to be about fifty and he was dressed very nicely. Something wasn't right about him.

"Leia," Anakin called, eyeing the man. "Come over here." Leia walked over to her father, glancing back at the man. Anakin bent down, still staring at him.

"Who is that you're talking to?" he asked quietly. Though it was a near whisper, his voice was commanding and threatening. Leia had rarely heard her father use this tone of voice, and it was never directed at her. It made her feel ice cold inside, like all the warmth and happiness in the world had gone out.

"I don't know," she said. Anakin gave her a stern look, squinting. Leia stood plastered there, afraid to say anything else.

"Go to your mother," he finally said. "And bring your brothers with you." He could see Luke and Wilhelm playing tag with Artoo a few feet away. Anakin got over and walked toward the man, who was still standing there, looking over the lake. He couldn't sense anything in the man. It felt like he was walking in a fog, unable to see far ahead. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Who are you?" Anakin asked.

"Oh I was just on a walk. I'm new here, from Alderaan. It's such an interesting area, I was so fascinated I must have wandered off the path," the man said. He smiled at Anakin, showing his white teeth. Anakin did not return the smile, only crossed his arms.

"What were you doing talking to my daughter?" Anakin asked coolly.

"I was asking if she lived around here. It's such an interesting house." Anakin gritted his teeth. He was close to losing it with this strange man. He was lying, he could tell easily. He just couldn't tell what about.

"Path's that way, I suggest you get back soon. The animals can get territorial when they find travelers on their paths too late at night," Anakin said, turning away.

"Thank you, have a great day," the man said cheerfully. Anakin kept watching him until he could no longer see him for the trees he walked through. When he got in the house he found Padme hugging Leia, who had buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

"Leia," he said, touching her back. Leia sniffed. Anakin sighed, "I'm sorry if I scared you, but you know you aren't supposed to talk to strangers."

"But he knew my name," Leia said, turning to Anakin. "If he knew my name, then he's not a stranger. He knew Luke and Wilhelm's too." Padme inhaled sharply, giving an alarmed look to Anakin, "Let's stay inside for the rest of the day, okay?" Padme said.

"But it's sunny," Leia said.

"No," Anakin said firmly. He sank into a chair. Leia opened her mouth to protest but Anakin shot her a look and she closed her mouth, realizing that the battle was lost. She ran in her room and the door slid shut.

"Anakin," Padme said.

"I know," he said, staring out the window.

"How did he know their names?" she asked. He shook his head, "I'm not sure. He wasn't a simple pedophile. No, there was something to him. I couldn't tell. I couldn't sense anything from him."

"We should get more security," Padme said. "I don't like that he knew where they lived and their names."

"Security isn't necessary, I can sense anything that comes within fifty feet of this house. You already have guards."

* * *

Anakin entered the conference room with Obi-Wan. Lither was already seated at the table. His thin lips curled into a smile as he saw Anakin. He was a rather short man with lines on his face from age. He wore what Anakin considered a pompous little moustache , which somehow seemed to stay in exactly the same place even when he was talking.

"Anakin Skywalker I presume," he said, immediately reaching for Anakin's hand. "Your reputation precedes you." He paid no attention to Obi-Wan. Anakin shook his hand, slightly taken aback at Lither's interest in him.

"Uh, thank you," Anakin said. He sat across from Lither. He noticed that he had brought armed guards with him. They wore a brown uniform with what looked like an H on its side on their armbands and helmets.

"Now, master Jedi," Lither said as they sat. "I have come today to ask for your help." He paused, looking at Anakin. Obi-Wan looked at him with interest, "By all means, go on." Lither shut his eyes at Obi-Wan's words. He kept them shut as he continued talking, "It is of my interest to build an army through the Five Worlds. There are certain radicals who are greatly opposed to my rule and I would like you to assist me in creating an army and suppressing the rebels."

"I'm sorry but that is not our job," Anakin said. "We are peace keepers. We provide mediation in the case of a conflict, but we are not soldiers." Lither suddenly cracked a wide smile and ran his hands through his hair violently. He looked quite deranged.

"It would be unwise of the Jedi and the republic to oppose me," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, but I will not pledge the support of the Jedi in the suppression of your people. The senate has already been vocal in the fact that they will not help you," Anakin said, growing angry. He could sense the deceit that filled the little man.

"Certain senators, such as senator Amidala rather noisily opposed me," Lither said. His voice started soft. "However, these are unfounded. If you could open our mind, you would see her illogical actions. You are corrupted by the views of your senator wife. It is not the place of women to be in any sort of ruling body and I will not adhere to anything of what they say." His voice grew louder as he went on and he pounded his fist on the table rhythmically.

"You leave my wife out of this," Anakin said, slamming his metal hand on the table. It made a satisfying noise that echoed through the room. "If you think that she is in any way illogical you are an idiot. And my opinions are my own. In any case what does her being a woman have to do with her decisions?"

"Women have no place in politics, or anywhere else besides the home," he said dismissively, lighting a thin cigarra.

"We're done here. I'm sorry but you will have no Jedi support," Anakin said, getting up from his chair. Lither stayed seated. He lit a cigarra and inhaled, leaning his head on his hand. He looked up at Anakin and blew smoke in his direction, "You have made a fateful mistake today," he said. Anakin and Obi-Wan left the room without another word.


	17. Chapter 17

"The man is dangerous. I have a very bad feeling about him," Obi-Wan said as they walked from the building for conferences and meditation and to the building that held Council meetings and training facilities.

"I agree. He's planning something," Anakin said.

"We need to keep watching him. It wouldn't be hard for this to escalate into bigger things." Anakin nodded. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you alright? You're awfully quiet," Obi-Wan said, concern in his voice.

"Yeah fine," Anakin said, shrugging. Obi-Wan looked at him knowingly, "Oh come on." Anakin shrugged, "It's not really a big issue. The other day there was a man in our backyard talking to Leia. That's not what bothered me. He seemed so familiar but I just couldn't place it, he also seemed evil. I couldn't read him. He knew my kid's names and now he knows where we live. Plus this whole thing with Lither."

"You're overexerted. You should take some time off," Obi-Wan advised.

"You sound like Padme. I can't take a break, so much is happening. I'm in charge of the Order, I can't just leave," Anakin said, running his hand through his hair.

"I could take care of things while you're gone." Anakin stopped walking and leaned on the railing of the bridge they were on. The water below them was clear and he could see the large, colorful fish swimming below the surface. He tapped his fingers on the metal railing.

"I suppose I could take a few days off," he finally said. "Just four days."

* * *

It was dark when Anakin got home from the Temple. He had to put things in order for him to leave, though it was only for four days. He hadn't noticed the time until he realized no one had run out to greet him yelling daddy. The kids were long asleep.

"There you are," Padme said. She was sitting on the couch reading a holobook and she sprang up to kiss him. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Not really," he said. She walked into the kitchen anyway and began heating up some food for him. He sat at the table and rested his head on his hand, closing his eyes.

"Anakin you need a break," she said. She came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders. He looked up at her, "Well I'm getting one. Four days I get to sit at home and do absolutely nothing." She sank down and put her head on his shoulder, "That's great. We should do something."

"No, let's just stay here. I want to spend time with you and the kids. Haven't really been able to do that in the past two years," he said, turning his face to kiss her.

"The kids are asleep," she said coyly.

"Yeah I noticed that," Anakin said, oblivious to what she was trying to infer. Padme rolled her eyes, "Anakin, the kids are asleep." She whispered the last word. He looked at her blankly and then it dawned on him and he grinned, "Oh. Oh, the kids are _asleep."_ She smiled at him and took his hand, leading him into the bedroom.

* * *

A few hours later Anakin was being tapped awake.

"Daddy?" a small voice asked. He was pulled out of half-consciousness and slid his eyes open to see Wilhelm. He was so small he could barely see over the bed and his blue eyes were looking into Anakin's. Anakin groaned slightly, "What's wrong Will?" Anakin reached over to Padme and tried to shake her awake. She waved his hand away and pulled a blanket further over herself, "Ani, stop." He rolled his eyes.

"I had a nightmare and I'm scared," he said. He was clutching a small blue blanket. Anakin sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes, "Okay, I'll tuck you in come on," he said. He picked Wilhelm up and carried him to his room.

"Daddy I'm still scared," Wilhelm said as he lay down.

"What was the dream about?"  
"You and mommy were gone and I was all alone," Wilhelm said.

"Oh, what happened to us?"

"Something bad," Wilhelm said. He pulled the covers up past his nose and mouth so only his eyes were visible.

"Nothing's going to happen to us," Anakin said. "I promise. Okay?" Wilhelm nodded but he kept the covers where they were.

"How about I tell you a story?" Anakin asked. Wilhelm nodded vigorously. He was exhausted and as much as he loved his son would have just left it there if he hadn't experienced dreams like those himself. They would become worse as he got older, just as Anakin's had and until Padme he felt like he was alone to struggle with them.

"Who do you want to hear about? The Queen or the Knight?"

"The Knight!" he said excitedly.

"Okay," Anakin started. "Uh a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a Knight." It was how he started all of the stories. Though they were mostly about himself or Obi-Wan or Padme, it made more sense to put it in a different setting. Anakin stopped as he noticed that Wilhelm had almost immediately fallen asleep. He fixed the covers and kissed Wilhelm on the forehead and noiselessly walked back to bed. As he reached the bedroom, he found that Padme had turned all the lights on. He squinted at the blinding bright lights his eyes hadn't adjusted to yet.

"What happened?" She asked sleepily.  
"Wilhelm had a bad dream he'll be fine. Now," he said, kissing her and turning off the lights, "Let's sleep."

* * *

Short, shrill sounds invaded Anakin's dreams. It was the beeping of his comlink. He rolled over, trying to ignore it but it seemed to grow louder. Artoo started beeping too at the noise. He grumbled and reached over to grab it.

"What?" he barked, slightly hoping that it was no one important who he just offended.

"You sound cheerful," Ahsoka said.

"I'm on leave can this wait?" he said irritably.

"Well I just got back from my mission in the five worlds and thought that it was of enough importance to discuss with you." Anakin felt like screaming. He was so tired; he just wanted to sleep. He didn't want to deal with any Jedi issues at the moment, but he had to know what was happening on the Five Worlds.

"Fine," he sighed. "Come to my house in a few hours and be ready to play with Leia."

"Of course I will! See you then my master," she said. The last two words were dripping with sarcasm as Ahsoka found it completely hilarious that every Jedi except for Obi-Wan, Yoda and Quinlan called him master now. He flipped of his comlink and threw it across the room. It clanged against the wall loudly. He flinched, glancing over at Padme and hoping that it hadn't woken her. She was lying on her back drowsily looking at him.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Good morning," she said. Sometimes he couldn't believe what had happened, all of the good things that had come out of the bad. If Palpatine wasn't a sith, he and Padme would probably still be living the unhappy and incredibly complicated life they were before. Everything would be a secret and he would never see his kids. Or he would have quit the Order. He also probably never would have become Grand Master, at least not until Yoda, Mace, and Obi-Wan had died. He started to kiss her when Luke and Leia burst into the room, yelling "Daddy's home!" He groaned and sat up, catching them as they jumped into bed.

"Daddy we didn't know you were home," Leia said.

"He's going to be home all the time for the next four days," Padme said, hugging Luke. "Come on you two, help me get breakfast ready and let daddy sleep for a little while longer," Padme said, taking Luke and Leia's hands.

"No I'm awake I'll help," he said.

"Anakin you should sleep more," she said. He ignored her and got out of bed anyway, picking up Leia as he walked into the kitchen.

* * *

"Hey Skywalkers," Ahsoka called as she let herself into the house. Padme came out to greet her. She was rocking a crying Wilhelm. Ahsoka had always liked Padme, though admittedly she had been incredibly jealous when she heard about Anakin's marriage to her. She had always been jealous of Padme, even before then. She was so smart and beautiful but she was also so kind, it was not hard for men to like her or for women to be jealous of her. Ahsoka could always sense Anakin's feelings about her, which didn't help her own feelings toward the woman. She had always had a little crush on Anakin, who couldn't? He was funny and attractive and through his arrogance was always her friend.

"Hi Ahsoka. Sorry, he hit his head," Padme said, nodding toward Wilhelm. "Anakin's in the yard." Ahsoka walked through the large house and into the backyard to see Anakin sitting in a chair, watching Luke and Leia.

"Good morning," she said, taking a seat next to him.

"What's going on in the Five Worlds?" he asked.

"Jeeze no hello for your favorite ex-padawan?"

"Ahsoka I'm on leave," he said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes in her direction.

"I know, I know," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Just saying we haven't seen each other in a while and it would be nice to get a proper greeting from my good friend Anakin whose children call me Aunt Ahsoka. I thought that that perhaps merited a 'hello Ahsoka, how has your day been?'" Anakin sighed and forced a wide smile, "Hello, Ahsoka. Tell me, how has your day been? Mine has been rather irritating," he said pointedly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Anakin. Perhaps it's because of the stick shoved up your ass. As for my day, it's been lovely."

"Great now tell me about the Five Worlds." Ahsoka had been embedded into Lither's regime easily. She had listened in on many of his meetings or at least heard from others of his activity.

"It's difficult to tell. He has announced that he will begin manufacturing more weapons and has begun an army. With the shortage of jobs in the area, many young men have been joining. He also started a personal army, a group of particularly evil boys who were created to enforce any rules he's established. The army is called the Naci. He maintains that this is strictly for self-defense purposes but I don't think so. I think he's going to attack something. I heard him talking to one of his assistants and he was scheduling a meeting with the separatists." Anakin shook his head, his brow furrowed, "What is he planning?"

"There's more. He's been focusing on hostilities toward the Twi'leks. They have a special curfew at night and those seen breaking it are jailed. They aren't allowed in certain stores and have to pay special taxes. Because of the Twi'lek population, he's focused special military attention and control on Fondor."

"Why the Twi'leks?"

"He considers humans to be the most superior species. I believe he sees the Twi'leks as half-breeds, wannabe humans. He doesn't like other species either but his rules towards them are not as strict." Anakin shook his head again, squinting.

"I don't get it."

"Neither do I. But I'm afraid, to be honest. Besides the things he's doing towards the Twi'leks, he has so much support. He's blaming them for the civil war and the issues the worlds have faced. He's quite a fan of yours." Anakin smiled, confused, "Of mine? Why?"

"You have to keep in mind that he twists things around so that they make sense to him. He admires how you, in his opinion, seized power. He admires how other Jedi feel about you and expects that of his own army. He also loves your war stories. How you kill things, how you completely killed the empire single-handedly."

"But I didn't," Anakin interjected.

"Yes but he thinks you did. He's so backwards."

"Well, we need to tell the republic about this. Go to the temple and talk to Obi-Wan and tell him that I told you to schedule a meeting with Bail Organa."

"Okay, now stop working. See you in a few days," Ahsoka said, getting up.

"Yeah yeah," Anakin said. He waved goodbye to her.

"What did she say?" Padme asked as she walked onto the porch.

"Hey there," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. She fell onto his lap, laughing, "Anakin."

"What?" he asked, kissing her.

"You're in a good mood."

"Just nice to not have to worry about things for once," he said. She put her head on his shoulder and they sat like that, watching Luke and Leia play tag with Artoo.

"Where's Will?" Anakin asked.

"He hit his head and was crying so he's laying down for a while. I think he's tired from not sleeping much last night."

"I don't think either of us got that much sleep last night," he said cheekily, poking her sides and making her laugh.

"Stop it," she said, pulling his hands away. He stopped and she put her head back on his shoulder, kissing his cheek. He rested his head on top of hers and exhaled contentedly.

"Padme, sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just quit," he said quietly.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head up to look at him.

"I mean," he said, pulling her head back on his shoulder. "If we just went away. I could become a mechanic or something. Leave in the morning at get home before dinner. Have weekends off and we could be normal.

"Normal never worked for me," she said quietly. "If what you're talking about is normal, all of the normal people I know are unhappy."

"I just want to be around more. I wish everything in the council didn't always have to fall on me."

"Are you unhappy?" she asked. He could hear the sadness in her voice at the thought.

"No, no, of course not," he said. "I just get worried that you guys aren't. You're still a senator and you have to do your job and come home to the kids who are exhausting. I just feel like I'm not around enough."

"Anakin, I see you every day unless you're on a mission. You're home enough and I wont ask you to sacrifice being a Jedi for us." He didn't have anything to say. They sat again in silence, his arms around her and her head on his shoulder.

"The Queen is hosting a dinner party tomorrow. I have to go, will you join me?"

"Of course," he said. He hated going to dinners like that, with all of those stuffy rich people talking to one another about how great they were, but he didn't want to spend a night without Padme. His comlink beeped and he groaned. However, it wasn't Anakin's that was beeping. It was Padme's.

"Sorry," she said, flipping it on.

"Milady, something very serious has happened in The Five Worlds. Turn on the holonet," Bail Organa said. Though she was only a senator, he considered her one of his most trusted advisors and was sure that she would have been elected chancellor if she had decided to run.

"Okay," she said, flipping off her comlink and walking into the house Anakin followed her. One of her handmaidens obediently walked into the yard to watch the kids. Lither Fadol was giving a speech in a language Anakin couldn't understand. He said something Anakin gleaned was particularly important as the crowd erupted in applause and Padme gasped.

"Wait what is he-," Anakin started. Padme held up a hand to quiet him and stared intently at the holonet. Anakin's jaw fell open as he saw that Fadol was clapping and opening the podium to the man who had been in their backyard talking to Leia.

"That's him," he said, sitting on the couch. The man talked for a while, causing the audience to cheer on more than one occasion. He finally walked away and Padme turned off the holonet in disgust.

"You could understand him?" Anakin asked. She nodded and sank down on the couch next to him, stunned.

"Well? What did he say?"

"He is going to invade Ryloth. That man who was in our backyard is his minister of war."


	18. Chapter 18

She flipped on her comlink, "Bail, I just saw."

"I'm calling a senate meeting the day after tomorrow to discuss this and to see which countries will go to war, if any, against the Five Worlds. Is Anakin there?" Bail asked.

"Yes he's right here," Padme said, passing the comlink to Anakin.

"Master Skywalker, I request your presence at the meeting. Also, I'm planning on having a meeting with the Great Four and I hope you can attend that as well to provide military advice." The Great Four were a group of worlds that were widely considered militarily and politically superior to many others. They were mostly interested in peace and run by many of the leaders of the rebel alliance, Padme and the Chommell sector included. Padme noticed how formal he was being and knew it meant someone else important was in the room and she wondered who it could be. Most were aware of the Organa's relationship with the Skywalker's and wouldn't find it odd for them to be on a first name basis. He and Anakin were far past referring to each other's official titles.

"Of course, Chancellor," Anakin said, picking up on his formal tone.

"I'm afraid I must go. See you both tomorrow." Anakin clicked off the comlink.

"Now we need to find a babysitter," he said a bit ruefully. He really didn't want to actually have to deal with these issues while he was supposed to be relaxing.

"We can just drop them off and mom and dad's," Padme said.

* * *

They walked into the large palace dining hall holding hands. Padme was wearing a light blue strapless floor length gown. It had a simple, plain print but shimmered subtly in the light. Her hair hung down the middle of her back in loose curls. Anakin wore formal Jedi clothing, as he pretty much always did. He mindlessly stood at her side as she made small talk with various members of the Naboo elite, people he hated. People who had everything handed to them and felt that because of it, they were entitled to an opinion. Anakin felt that they indeed were not.

"So Anakin, how goes the Jedi Order?" the woman talking to Padme asked. She was heavy set with short, curly brown hair. Her red lipstick fell far outside of her lip line and her fat face sat in the middle of her shoulders with no neck to support it.

"Very well, thank you. We've been rebuilding the order with great success," he said. This was the standard answer he gave to these people. They all tended to ask the same thing, and this answer sufficiently covered everything they asked and closed many follow up questions.

"So glad to hear," the woman said, feigning interest. "Now how are those adorable little children of yours?"

"They're wonderful," Padme said, beaming. Anakin zoned out as the conversation went on, nodding goodbye to the woman as he became aware that they were done talking. Someone tapped Padme on the shoulder and after turning around she gasped and pulled the man into a hug. Now, this caught Anakin's attention.

"So good to see you," Padme said with her arms still around the man's neck. Anakin noticed that his hands were on her hips, an area Anakin was not comfortable with someone else touching. He cleared his throat loudly and Padme released the man.

"Anakin," she said, taking his arm. "This is Ian Lago. You remember me telling you about him, right? Ian, this is my husband Anakin Skywalker."

"Ah, the hero with no fear. It is an honor to meet you, Master Skywalker," Ian said, shaking Anakin's hand.

"Nice to meet you as well," Anakin said a bit coldly, dropping Ian's hand.

"How are your children? I would love to see holos," Ian said.

"Anakin has some," Padme said, beaming up at him. He just looked down at her blankly. "Anakin, sweetie, can you take out the holos?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, reaching into his pocket and handing them to Padme. He paid little attention as she went through all of them, telling Ian all of their names and stories about them. In Anakin's opinion, she was a bit too enthusiastic in talking to her former boyfriend.

"Anakin?" Padme asked edgily, squeezing his arm.

"Hm? I'm sorry, what did you ask?" Anakin said, pulled from his daydreaming.

"Anakin's very tired," Padme said, attempting to excuse his rudeness.

"Oh I completely understand, such an important man. I was simply wondering about the Jedi Order," Ian said.

"Goin' well, thanks," Anakin said dismissively. "I'm going to go outside," he mumbled, shaking Padme's hand off of him. He walked to the large balcony, which overlooked a moonlit garden. He heard the staccato clicking of angry footsteps behind him. It wasn't hard to guess the source.

"What the Sith is your problem?" Padme asked as she reached the balcony. He turned around slowly and looked at her. His face showed no emotion, as if he was watching grass grow.

"I'm just tired, Padme."

"You're being so rude," she said, giving him a glare that could cool the blood of even the most war-hardened soldier, which Anakin considered himself.

"Well I'm sure you came up with some excuse to make up for it. Wouldn't want your dear friends to think that your husband doesn't give a damn about what they have to say."

"Ian was being extremely polite," she said. She immediately regretted bringing him up when she saw the look he gave her.

"Don't give me that. I'm sorry your boyfriend Ian had his little feelings hurt. Go back and comfort him," he hissed, turning back to look over the balcony.

"What has gotten into you?" she asked, unable to mask the hurt in her voice. His shoulders fell.  
"Padme," he said, turning around. His voice was quiet now and kinder. "There's going to be a war from this crap in the Five Worlds. A war I will need to be in the forefront in. If I am not killed, I will at least be away from you and the kids for months on end. That isn't sitting well with me right now and I wish that I wasn't surrounded by rich, stupid people who don't give a damn about what goes on in wars as long as they still get to live in their sheltered, pampered lives while my family suffers. I need time to process, you know that but still you drag me out here."

"But, but you're the Grand Master," she stammered, trying to hide her distress at the thought of him being in another war. "Surely you don't have to fight as you did last time."

"I am unwilling to send my fellow Jedi off into battle if I am not there to support them."

"You are seeking glory as you received in the last war," she spat, losing her temper now too. He turned on her and grabbed her arms right below her shoulders.

"Anakin let go of me," she said, trying to squirm out of his painful grip. He ignored her.

"Padme you take that back. Do you honestly think I would leave you and my three children just to get glory?" She knew it was a mistake to say that, but she didn't want him to leave to do something she had no control over.

"Huh?" he said angrily after she said nothing, shaking her slightly. His fingers, especially his mechanical fingers, dug deep into her arm and it was extremely painful. She had never seen him this angry with her and it frightened her. He had never deliberately physically hurt her like this.

"Ani let go you're hurting me," she said with fear in her voice. He inhaled slightly and his face fell, immediately releasing her. He rubbed her arms after he realized what he did, "I'm sorry, angel. I'm tired and I just don't want to fight in this war." She nodded but didn't look at him, trying to hold tears back. He pulled her into a tight hug and after a few moments she hugged back.

"It's going to be alright Anakin," she said, looking up at him. "I know it will. Now, I'm going to make up an excuse about the kids so we can leave early."

"No, you don't need to do that. I'll be better."

"I want to leave anyway. The only person I want to talk to here is Ian and I invited him over for dinner on a night you wont be here. Hope you don't mind." His face darkened but he voiced none of his objections. He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked back into the dining hall. Padme quickly walked over to the queen, pretending to flip off her comlink right as they started talking.

"You're a lucky guy," Ian said, standing next to Anakin to watch Padme. "She's a wonderful woman, even back when we were kids." Anakin nodded curtly but said nothing. He could sense no evil in this man, no ulterior motives. He seemed genuine. "_Doesn't mean I have to like him," _Anakin thought to himself. _"Just because he's the nicest guy in the galaxy and isn't planning on killing Padme doesn't mean he's swell and should baby-sit the kids."_

"Ian I'm afraid we have to leave," Padme said.

"Oh so soon?" Ian asked regretfully.

"Yes I'm afraid that Luke has come down with something."

"I hope he feels better. I'll see you in a few days, Padme," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Anakin, wonderful to meet you." The shook hands, and as they did so Anakin squeezed his a little tighter than normal since he was using his mechanical arm, as if to show who had the upper hand in this mutual relationship with Padme.

* * *

"There should be no war against the Five Worlds. He can have Ryloth. He's promised that this will be his last conquest, we should believe him instead of attacking him," senator Onaconda Farr said.

"Yes, we agree with Rodia in this stance," Greblieps, the senator from Brodo Asogi stated. Padme glanced at Anakin from her pod. He was in a pod next to hers with Obi-Wan and Yoda. He looked back at her, displaying a worried expression she rarely saw on her husband.

"The Chommell sector is prepared to go to war. I believe that Fadol will not stop at this, despite what he says. However, we are unprepared to fight him ourselves with no help," Padme said, allowing her pod to float towards the center.

"We will wage war as well if he threatens anymore systems," Mon Mothma said, nodding at Padme. At this there was a great murmuring through the hall. Padme and Mon Mothma represented some of the strongest sectors in the Galactic Republic and their stance on this could sway many opinions.

"I will join this forming alliance," Male-Dee said. The senate began openly debating amongst themselves. These were three out of the Great Four who were pledging their willingness to go to war.

"Order," Bail said loudly. "As these three senators are members of the Great Four, I propose that this matter is discussed in their meeting later unless any other senators would like to pledge their willingness to fight?" The talking continued but no one floated out to speak.

"Then, meeting adjourned," Bail said. A large beep echoed through the room, signifying the end of the meeting.

"I am uneasy to go to war," Fang Zar said. It was now the meeting of the Great Four with Padme, Mon Mothma, Male-Dee, Fang, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Bail. They were gathered in the chancellor's office, Anakin sitting far from Padme as per her request. She didn't like it when they sat by each other during official meetings as she felt that when they saw her husband at her side it made people take her less seriously. She felt that it made them think that he was the one telling her what to think, what to do. That she was simply a pawn.

"Fang, this will escalate into a great conflict," Mon Mothma said.

"Of that I am aware. However are we ready to go into a battle?" he asked, his question pointed at Bail and Anakin.

"We would have the support of the clones plus any of your own world troops," Bail said. "What is the Jedi stance on this, Masters?" he asked Anakin and Obi-Wan. They looked at each other with grim expressions.

"The Jedi will support the Republic, in peacetime and war," Anakin started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "However I am weary of another version of the Clone Wars. So many Jedi died, even before Order 66 was executed. We cannot cut down our ranks right as we're building them up."

"Are there enough competent Jedi to serve as generals?" Mon Mothma asked.

"For a time, yes," Anakin said. "Of course that would mean the Masters joining, which is something I am afraid of. Though the Masters are the best Jedi, we can't rink losing all of them."

"Of course, Master Skywalker, we would expect you to come up with battle plans with Master Kenobi. Neither of you would necessarily need to fight," Bail said.

"I am willing to make battle plans, but I am not comfortable with sitting at home and doing nothing while fellow Jedi fight. Both Obi-Wan and I would engage in combat," Anakin said coolly, daring a glance at Padme. Her face was stoic, as if she was listening to him talk about one of the kids, but he could feel that inside she was dying. She didn't want him to leave and fight, which was the only reason she had a small internal opposition towards starting a war. Anakin smiled sadly to himself, he knew her personal feelings wouldn't stop her. She wouldn't let them. The press had nicknamed her Ice Queen, and for good reason. When she was at work she showed no emotion, even when arguing against the most brutal decrees or hearing about millions of people dying. Sometimes he resented her for it, her lack of emotion in the line of duty, but sometimes he wished he could have the same strength. If only he could take his own feeling out of his decisions with the Jedi, things would be so much easier.

"I feel that it would be a small, necessary evil in order to prevent the evil that could happen on a much greater scale," Padme said, looking at Anakin blankly. He nodded, "We will stand behind this war."

"Then do we all agree to ally with each other?" Bail asked. They all nodded. "Great," he said, pulling out a datapad with a large document typed on it. They passed around the agreement, each signing it. Before Padme signed it she looked up at Anakin, breaking her stoic countenance for a second to show him her fear. This time he gave her the emotionless look she had given him. She lowered her head and slowly signed the document.

* * *

"Anakin, how do you really feel about the war?" Padme asked as they boarded her large, mirrored starship. He looked at her for a long time. Her brown eyes looked exactly the same as they had around five years ago when they reunited. They showed neither age nor problems. He wished he could say the same of his own blue ones, which of late had been baggy and bloodshot.

"Padme, you are my wife. I will stand behind you over the Republic. However I am not thrilled with this war," he said, putting a hand on her cheek.

"I feel that it's necessary though. I'm sorry that I am leading many people to their deaths, but I cannot stand aside as millions of people are suffering," she said. Now he could see the sadness in her eyes. He smiled and kissed her, slighting surprising her.

"I love you for worrying about other people more than you do yourself," he said quietly.

"I agree with Padme. This will get worse fast with no outside intervention," Obi-Wan said.

"I don't know, I'm afraid that this will go on for years," Anakin said. Padme didn't say anything, which Anakin usually took to mean that she agreed but didn't want to admit it.

"We need to call a meeting with the council and then the rest of the Jedi as soon as we get back," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. They flew along silently for some time, Anakin shutting his eyes for a few minutes while they were in autopilot. He was having a dream about fire. It consumed him, devoured him until he became something he did not recognize. He felt no hope and could think of no pleasant memories. He was jerked awake when the ship jolted. He nearly fell out of his chair and reached over to Padme to keep her from hitting the floor.

"What the blast was that?" he asked, looking over the controls. They shook with another blast and the ship began beeping.

"Anakin the engines are out," Obi-Wan said frantically. Anakin pressed buttons to attempt to stabilize them, but the ship beeped more. Words appeared on the small captain's datapad that Padme couldn't understand. Upon reading them Anakin gasped and began pressing buttons more frantically.

"Padme hold on to something," he said, practically yelling. She did as she was told and held on to a small railing that ran along the walls of the ship. He picked up the ship's radio and began pressing buttons, "Attention any ships close to sector C4-11. This is a distress call. This is Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. We have been hit by enemy fire and are attempting to make a crash landing on an unidentified nearby planet. Please respond." There was no response. The ship jerked, causing Padme to smack her head hard against the wall. She fell to the floor, fighting to stay conscious. The last thing she saw was Obi-Wan feverishly pressing buttons and Anakin attempting to land the ship with the controls. When she opened her eyes again her ship was in pieces around her and Anakin and Obi-Wan were lying on the floor close to her. Anakin's hand was stretched toward hers, as if he had been holding it before he had to let go.


	19. Chapter 19

It was just then that she noticed the intense pressure on her right side. She realized that a large portion of the ship had fallen on top of her. Reflexively, she attempted to push it off of her with her right arm but cried out in the burning pain it caused. She must have broken her arm. It was pinned against her, bleeding. She felt something hot and sticky on her forehead and reached up with her free and uninjured left hand to investigate it. She touched a sensitive spot and looked at her now blood soaked hand. She wouldn't last long if she stayed underneath this piece of metal. With all her strength, she pushed against it with just her left arm. It moved, but not enough to get free. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the pain. She pushed with both her arms, yelling. She was able to completely straighten both of her arms as best she could and quickly rolled out from underneath the wreckage. It fell back down with a deafening crunch. She was now on her stomach, not far from Anakin. She couldn't see him very well, but it didn't look like he was moving. She attempted to stand but her legs wouldn't allow it, her knee felt like it had been stabbed with a lightsaber. Instead she crawled over to him. His face was covered in blood and his eyes were shut. Upon closer inspection, his nose appeared to be broken and there was a frightening looking gash on his head. She put her ear by his nose and mouth. She sighed in relief, he was breathing but incredibly shallowly.

"Anakin," she said. Her voice was raspy and came out barely over a whisper. She shook him slightly, "Anakin." She attempted to talk louder but it was difficult. He still lay there, unmoving. She looked over to Obi-Wan, who wasn't lying far from Anakin. He wasn't moving either. She looked around, the ship was still a ship, just a smaller and more dented one. The viewscreen was cracked and the buttons on the control panel, which usually lit up like stars, were completely dark. She looked back down at Anakin. There was so much blood; he had obviously hit his head hard. She hoped it just knocked him out, nothing more serious. She tried to stand again, but the second she put weight on her right leg she felt a surge of the most intense pain she had ever felt. She squeaked and fell back to the ground. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she began to panic. If she couldn't stand up, she couldn't get help and at least Anakin, if not Obi-Wan as well, would probably die soon. She took a deep breath. She couldn't lose it, she wouldn't allow herself to cry. She looked down at her legs. Her knee was bloody and about three times it's normal size.

"_Stand up,"_ she told herself. She tried to get up again but for what felt like the hundredth time, she fell back.

"Stand up now," she said aloud. Slowly, her limbs obliged and she stood uneasily. She tried to distribute more weight on her left side, but it was still excruciatingly painful.

"_Hard part's over," _she thought, taking a small step forward. Thankfully, she didn't fall but the pain in her knee was threatening to make her pass out. Gritting her teeth she walked over to the control panel and nearly fell into a seat. She grabbed the radio and pressed the button to turn it on. It didn't work.

"Blast," she said angrily, throwing the receiver at the panel. She immediately regretted her action as a surge of pain shot up her possibly broken right arm. She clutched it, biting her lower lip. She sat for a minute, willing herself not to scream in the pain, frustration and hopelessness she was feeling all at once. She remembered something and spun in the chair to face Anakin. She reached down to his belt and searched through the small pockets on it, finally extracting the small communicator. Before she could test it, she heard voices outside of the ship. They were going to come in. She realized that she probably didn't want to meet the voice in person until she knew who it was; after all, someone had shot them down. She frantically looked around the cabin for somewhere to hide. She saw that there was a hole just big enough for her to slip through in the side of the ship. She got up and grabbed Anakin by the arm, attempting to drag him out of the ship. He barely moved and the pain of pulling him caused the sides of her vision to turn black, threatening to consume her. She knew she couldn't move Obi-Wan either, she didn't even try. Her heart sank. She had to make a choice. Whoever came in would either find Anakin and Obi-Wan lying unconscious or find both of them plus a very conscious and very vulnerable Padme. She bent down and kissed Anakin, wiping away a tear that had snuck past the strength of her will to stop it and then quickly got to the hole and lowered herself down. It was a much farther drop than she anticipated and she landed hard and her leg. She bit at her left arm to keep from crying out, her eyes streaming. Not a second after she had dropped out of the ship she heard people entering. Risking it, she peeked through the hole to see two men in brown uniforms. She noticed the sideways H on their armbands and helmets. They were speaking the same language Lither and his minister of war was speaking in on the Holonet. One of the officers looked about fifteen, his innocent face showed alarm at the two bloodied bodies on the ground.

"Those are the Jedi, but where the hell is the senator?" the other officer asked gruffly. He looked about forty and his expression was as evil as the other man's was innocent. The boy shrugged and knelt down beside Anakin. He glanced up and looked straight at Padme, surprise etched in his face as he saw her. Tears streamed down her face at the pain standing on her shattered knee caused, and also as she felt panic. She recognized the innocence in this boy and could feel the good. She shook her head adamantly at him, holding a finger to her lips. He looked at her blankly for another second and then looked back down at Anakin, his hand on his wrist to feel for a pulse.

"Well, is he dead?" the other asked impatiently.

"Yes, sir," he said after some hesitation. Padme stifled a sob. Was the boy lying so to prevent something worse or was he telling the truth? The man laughed and kicked Anakin hard in the side, "Jedi scum. Check the other." The boy turned to Obi-Wan and held his wrist, his back to Padme.

"Dead too," he said.

"Does it appear to you that anyone else was in this shuttle?" the man asked, looking around. Padme took her face from the hole so he wouldn't see her, but she could still hear them. "Fadol said that she would be with them. The blonde one is her husband."

"Sir, it doesn't look like anyone else was here. Look around, if she were she would have been as hurt as them. Perhaps this was simply a decoy," the boy said.

"What's that hole?" the man asked. Padme could hear his footsteps nearing the exit she took and she crouched down and pressed herself closer to the wreckage of the ship.

"I doubt anything could have fit through that," the boy said quickly. The man looked out the hole, his head directly above Padme's. If he looked down, he would see her. She pressed a hand to her mouth and nose to keep him from hearing her wheezy breathing.

"Yes, perhaps you're right," the man said, looking around for another minute before removing his head. Padme still stayed perfectly still.

"Let's go. It is your job to report this to Fadol," the man barked. She heard their footsteps grow further away and heard a ship take off. The second she knew they were gone she burst into tears. This winded her even more and she gasped for air to relieve her oxygen-starved lungs. She clicked on the comlink and typed in a number, holding her breath in anticipation of a response.

"Master Anakin?" Whie said.

"Whie, this is Padme," she said breathlessly. "We've crashed on a planet in sector C4-11. I'm not sure what exactly it is. We are all badly hurt, but Anakin and Obi-Wan are unconscious. Can you please send help?" She had never been so glad to hear the boy's voice.

"I can triangulate your location with the signal I'm getting from your comlink. I'll be there shortly," he said.

"Bring medics," she said. "Thank you." She clicked off the comlink and looked at the ship. Now that she was out, she wasn't exactly sure how to get back in. The ship had set down right above a cliff and she had been fortunate enough to land on a small ledge when she dropped down. She grimaced; she would have to climb back up. Willing herself to ignore the pain, she climbed back to the ship. She pressed her teeth together so hard she was amazed that none cracked in her mouth. Once she reached the top, she collapsed, catching her breath and giving her limbs a chance to recover. They had gotten to the point of numbness, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was then that she remembered a war story Anakin had told her. One of the clones broke his leg, but they were unable to stop and get help for him. He continued on for miles, walking on the broken leg with trouble. When they finally reached the medic, his leg was so bad that they had to amputate it. She hoped that she hadn't reached that point yet, but the numbness was probably not a good sign. Despite this unpleasant thought, she stood up and slowly walked to the larger hole in the ship the soldiers had entered in. She immediately walked to Anakin and fell next to him, holding his wrist for a pulse. Her heart leapt; the soldier had been lying. Anakin's pulse beat slowly and softly, but it was still there. She checked Obi-Wan's and found the reassuring beat. She gulped as she noticed the difference in his and Anakin's. His was stronger and faster. She felt at her neck to compare. It was alarming how much weaker Anakin's was.

"Anakin," she said, shaking him again. "Anakin please," she said. She pulled out a handkerchief and mopped his face, turning the small scrap of material red. He stirred slightly but his eyes stayed closed. She held his head to hers and kissed him, trying to hold back her tears.

"Oh come on," she whispered. "Don't leave me like this." He stayed the way he was and she sadly set his head back down and turned to Obi-Wan. She shook him gently, "Obi-Wan," she said. To her relief, his eyes fluttered open.

"Padme, are you hurt?" he asked. He attempted to sit up but groaned and fell on his back. He felt at his side, "I have a broken rib." He looked at her, "Padme you look seriously hurt."

"Yes, I think my knee and my right arm are broken," she said. "But I'm able to walk. Some of Fadol's soldiers came on the ship and I was forced to slip out through that hole and then climb back up into the ship. They were looking for me."

"Thank the Force they didn't find you," he said, his face relaxed for a minute but then he became panicked again. "How's Anakin?"

"He's unconscious. He won't wake up. He at least broke his nose," she said grimly.

"Yes, before I passed out he hit his head hard on the viewscreen," Obi-Wan said.

"Whie is coming to help us," she said, leaning back against the wall and looking sadly at Aankin. She turned the handkerchief over in her hands and shut her eyes.

* * *

When she awoke she was lying in a bed staring up at a white ceiling. The room was filled with medical equipment and Anakin was lying in the bed next to her. His eyes were closed. She wanted to get up to see him, but she couldn't move and soon everything went black.

* * *

She opened her eyes again what seemed like a second later but she realized that hours must have passed as she saw that Anakin was now sitting next to her, holding her hand and staring into space. He looked at her when she opened her eyes and smiled.

"How long have I been here?" she asked, sitting up.

"Just a day. A few hours ago they let me leave so I checked on the kids and came back here. Your mom's still taking care of them." She suddenly remembered his nose and brought his face closer to her. He laughed, confused, "What are you doing?"

"Your nose," she said, looking closely. There was no bandage on it, but Jedi could generally heal faster than normal humans. There was now a bump on the bridge of his nose, but other than that it looked exactly the same.

"Oh yeah, it was broken. I'm okay now," he said. "A little concussed for a while. I heard that you were great, sorry I missed it." It was then that she noticed her wrist, which was wrapped in a bandage.

"You broke your wrist and messed up your knee pretty badly," he said. She lifted her blanket and looked at leg. Her knee was swollen and wrapped in cold packs.

"That'll go with my gowns well," she said. "When can I leave? Were the kids scared?"

"You can leave now, but I think you should stay until tomorrow. The kids were a little freaked. They're fine," he said, rubbing her arm.

"Anakin, if I can leave now then I want to," she said, making to get out of bed.

"Padme, someone is trying to assassinate you. I want to investigate a little more," he said.

"You can investigate while I'm at home with my family," she said, getting up. He sighed, "Your bag's over there. Dorme packed it for you." She walked over to it and selected a soft, navy blue dress. It went to the floor and had tiny dark blue ruffles on the bodice. He watched her put it on, resting his head on his hand. He was still incredibly sore and felt like he had been thrown out of a building. She struggled to zip up her dress with her broken wrist, attempting to hold it up with one and zip it with the other.

"Let me do it," he said, getting up and zipping the dress. He could have easily done it with the force, but he wanted to be close to her. When he zipped it up he put his arms around her waist. She turned her head and kissed him, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against him. She felt so safe.

"Master Skywalker, Obi-oh…sorry," Whie said, bursting into the room. The boy turned red as he saw Anakin and Padme in their embrace.

"It's okay Whie. What did you have to say?" Anakin said, walking away from Padme, who was thankful the boy hadn't walked in a few minutes earlier.

"Fadol has declared war on Rodia and is attempting to take control of it," Whie said.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Padme said angrily. "Rodia didn't want to go to war with them. They provided no threat."

"It's almost as if he's trying to start a war," Anakin said, squinting.

"But to what end?" Obi-Wan asked as he walked in.

"I'm not saying that was right, I'm saying that's what it seems like," Anakin said. "Other than that, I have no idea." No one said anything.

* * *

Anakin scooped up and hugged Luke and Leia as they ran to him. They had begun to show more signs of their power with the Force and would soon be the proper age to begin training. As far as he could tell from a two and a half year old, Luke seemed to want to become a Jedi. Leia showed less interest, but he had never really asked her. They got home from the hospital late and Wilhelm was fast asleep. Luke and Leia were, as always, bundles of energy and were begging to hear a story. Anakin sat down with them in Leia's room, beginning to tell them a story.

"So what do you guys want to hear?" he asked, pulling Leia into his lap.

"We want to hear about what happened yesterday," Leia said.

"Nah that's a bad story," Anakin said. He didn't want his kids to know about the very real dangers that played a large part in their parent's lives.

"I'm going to go lie down," Padme, who had been standing in the doorway, said. She kissed Luke and Leia goodnight, despite their protests.

"But mommy you need to tell a story too," Luke whined.

"I'll think of a really good one to tell you two tomorrow," she said, hugging Luke. She kissed Anakin, "Come to bed soon." He watched her go and made sure she was out of earshot before he began talking again. As an extra precaution, he slid the door shut with a wave of his hand.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you guys about," Anakin said, the smile on his face disappearing. Luke and Leia were quiet and looked at him with interest. It was rare that their father because serious around them, and they knew enough to realize that whatever he said would be important.

"So, do you understand what my job is?" he asked them.

"Yes daddy you're a Jedi," Leia said, proud of herself for answering so correctly. Anakin smiled as he imagined Padme wearing the same expression when answering a question as a child.

"Very good. But do you know exactly what Jedi do?" The twins looked at each other blankly for a minute. Luke suddenly smiled, "You use a lightsaber and stop bad guys."

"Yep, that's a big part of it," Anakin said. Luke grinned and Leia and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Daddy Luke's being mean," she whined. Luke, who was sitting next to Anakin pushed her and she kicked her leg out in his direction.

"Enough," he said loudly to the squirming toddlers. They immediately stopped and looked at him again.

"There's also the Force, which I know you've seen. It's what I use to lift things like this," he said, levitating a small table. "The Force lives inside all of us and the Jedi learn how to use it. Jedi have to go through many, many years of training and they usually start when they're about three years old. That's how old you two almost are. So, my question is would either of you like to become Jedi? You don't have to answer right now."

"I do!" Luke said immediately, springing up. "I want a lightsaber." Anakin smiled at his son's excitement. He remembered feeling that way as a kid. He wanted to be a Jedi badly, but for very different reasons than Luke had. Being a Jedi for Anakin meant that he could stop being helpless. It meant that he could leave Tatooine, he could right the wrongs that had been done to him and his mother and he could help others. For Luke it meant adventure and glory. He saw how heroic his father was and wanted to be like him.

"Leia what are your thoughts?" he asked. The girl didn't answer, hugging her arms around herself shyly.

"You don't have to answer now," he said. "Just let me know what you think."

* * *

After he told the twins a story and put them to bed, he crept back into the bedroom. Padme was still fully dressed and reading a holobook. She smiled when she saw him and put down the book, opening her arms. He lay down next to her and put his arms around her, holding her close.

"Padme," he started, kissing her forehead. "I talked to the twins today about becoming Jedi." He could feel her tense up against him but she didn't say anything. _"Great,"_ he thought. _"It will be a slow, quiet burn."_

"They're very strong with the Force and I want them to at least try it. I'm not sure how Leia feels, but Luke is really excited." She pushed away from him and rolled over on her side so she didn't have to look at him. She hated this. She didn't want her children to be forced into something they didn't want, which had been her excuse all along. However, that wasn't how she really felt. Of course she wanted them to be whatever they wanted to be, but that wasn't her issue with them becoming Jedi. She mostly didn't want them to be taken from her, which Anakin had explained in the past wouldn't necessarily happen. They could live here at home and he could personally train them. The honest reason was that she didn't want to have to worry about three people dying. She didn't want the chances of having to bury a close family member increase anymore, which they would if the children became high profile Jedi like their father.

"He wants to be a Jedi because you're his hero," she said quietly.

"So what?" he said. His frustration was beginning to show in his voice.

"So he may be a bit misguided. He sees you and how amazing you are, how many people look up to you and it's natural for him to want to be like that. He doesn't know what it's really like," she said.

"Well neither did I. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but look at me now." She sighed and rolled over again to face him.

"Fine," she said, getting out of bed and walking to her closet.

"Fine?" he asked incredulously, sitting up.

"If Luke and Leia truly want to do it, they can. But they can't live in the Temple like the other younglings. And the second they decide they don't want it, they must be able to leave."

"Of course," he said.


	20. Chapter 20

The next day Anakin set out for a meditation session in the large garden by the Temple. The sun was only just rising and the cool breeze made his robe swoop around him. In the garden the flowers were still coated in small droplets of dew. The lake was still and peaceful. He could smell the water in the air and hear the waterfall rumbling in the distance. As he approached the lake he saw Obi-Wan talking to a brunette woman. Her back was to Anakin, but if he didn't know better he would have thought that she was Padme. She had the exact same color hair, which was pulled into an intricate style like Padme wore when she had to be at the senate. It signified that she was someone political or at least someone very wealthy. He made to call to Obi-Wan and wave but stopped in his tracks, his hand frozen in the air and his mouth gaped open. Obi-Wan had taken the woman in his arms and was kissing her passionately, his hands on her waist while her hands were on the back of his head. Anakin shut his mouth and lowered his arm, flexing his hands. He realized how cold it really was, or at least how it felt now. He made a funny little noise in the back of his throat and then promptly turned around, briskly walking back to the Temple. Why was Obi-Wan keeping this relationship a secret from him? Anakin told Obi-Wan everything. Was it that he didn't trust him? Anakin had never even really thought of someone who could fall in love...Obi-Wan had a girlfriend. It was weird and made him feel like he needed to scrub his fingernails. Obi-Wan was like his father, at least his brother. A father who hadn't even shown signs of thinking women were attractive up until now. He wandered around the Temple for a few minutes, trying to collect his thoughts. Was he turning it into a bigger deal than it really was? He walked into a room that he noticed was his office. He didn't really remember setting a specific course there, but he collapsed in his chair behind his desk. He decided to stop worrying about the Obi-Wan situation for a while and began looking over some datapads on the war. By the time he had become completely immersed in battle plans, the door to his office slid open. Obi-Wan strutted in, grinning at Anakin.

"Here," he said, handing him a chrono. He recognized it as a popular periodical for teenage girls. Anakin glanced at it and did a double take. On it was his picture with the headline, "Man of the Universe." He rolled his eyes as Obi-Wan, who could no longer contain himself, burst into laughter.  
"Look at the sub-heading," Obi-Wan laughed. Anakin picked it up and looked closer. Written underneath the silver letters that proclaimed Anakin's new 'position' in the universe was "An in-depth look into the hot Jedi."

"They do know that I have three kids," he said, groaning. "And two nearly teenaged nieces who will absolutely die when they see this."

"Oh come on, Anakin. Isn't it an honor to be deemed attractive by young females?" Obi-Wan asked sarcastically. Anakin leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face, smiling, "Y'know, you'd think it would be." He leaned forward on his desk and looked at Obi-Wan, serious now. Obi-Wan could sense the conflict in his former padawan and he stopped laughing with difficulty, wiping his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked after Anakin was quiet for a while. Anakin nodded slowly, picking up the chrono and flipping through it. He stopped at a large picture of him and Padme holding hands while walking in Naboo. The caption's lead in was "Power couple."

"_How original," _he thought.

"So uh, who was that woman you were with this morning?" he asked absently, still flipping through the pages. He focused his attention with disgust at a picture of his three kids. He hated seeing their pictures printed in the papers. He looked up long enough to see that Obi-Wan had turned white. Anakin laughed, "What? So you have a girlfriend, big deal. Right?" he asked, slightly unsure of himself. Obi-Wan clumsily sat in the chair in front of Anakin's desk.

"It started a few months ago. I'm sorry I didn't say anything," he said.

"Well who is she?" Anakin asked. Obi-Wan looked down. He could sense his friend's apprehension.

"Dorme," he said.

"Padme's handmaiden? Why didn't you tell me?"

"She didn't know how Padme would feel about it," Obi-Wan said.

"Why wouldn't she be anything but happy? Padme's been trying to get you a girlfriend for years," Anakin said. Obi-Wan shrugged, "Hey you're the expert on women here."

"What about that uh duchess? The blonde," Anakin asked, smiling.

"Oh shut up," Obi-Wan said, rolling his eyes. "I think I really love her."

"I'm really happy for you, but can I tell Padme?"

"I'll ask Dorme but I think she might want to tell her personally."

"How about you guys come over for dinner in a few days?" Anakin asked.

"Well, considering Dorme works at your house that wouldn't be hard to arrange," Obi-Wan said.

* * *

Padme looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung loose around her face. She had always hated the curls in it. As a teenager she had always gone out of her way to straighten it, but she rarely had time to go through the whole straightening process of her thick hair because of her busy schedule. As she looked at herself she sampled the expressions she used daily. Smile, pout, laughter, it all seemed like the person looking back at her was a stranger. For the first time in her life she felt old. She raised her thinly plucked eyebrows and noticed, horrified, that lines appeared above them. When she lowered them to her normal expression, they disappeared. But still, they were nearly wrinkles. As much as she liked to consider herself strong and far above the normal vices or fears other people faced everyday, she had always prized herself in her beauty. Deep down she considered herself to be very vain about her looks. Another thing that she had prized herself in her will power, which was one of the reasons she had been able to stay so thin and pretty. After she had Wilhelm she had trouble losing the pregnancy weight. She felt disgusting, so she willed herself to be thin. It wasn't all that hard, she just only ate what was necessary. When Anakin noticed she wrote it off as stress and how busy she was. She felt awful, but she felt she had to do it. She also felt like a hypocrite as she thought of what she would say to Leia if she had done such a thing. She sighed and pulled the mirror away from the wall to expose the cabinet hidden behind it. She took out a small white container of vitamins and closed the mirror. She looked at her reflection again and jumped when she saw Anakin behind her.

"Anakin," she said, holding a hand to her heart from the shock of seeing him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you heard me come in," he said, snaking an arm around her waist. She half smiled at their reflection. He had acquired a new scar on his face over his eyebrow to match the one that ran over his eye.

"We're quite a pair," she said quietly, touching his cheek.

"You're so beautiful," he said, kissing the side of her face. "What's wrong?" She sighed. Sometimes having a Jedi for a husband had its disadvantages.

"Tired," she said, trying to open the bottle of vitamins. It had one of those child protective locks on it, but she didn't realize it. He watched her in mild amusement as she tried to open it.

"Blast," she said, nearly throwing the bottle in frustration.

"Here," he said, gently taking the bottle from her hands and opening it with ease. He placed it in her still open hands.

"Oh." She dry swallowed the pills and didn't look at him.

"You're pissed," he said, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"Nope," she said, turning to kiss him and then disentangling herself from his embrace.

"Frustrated?" he asked, following her into Luke's room. Luke, Leia and Wilhelm were, as always, outside playing with the droids while one of Padme's handmaidens watched. Anakin was so happy that his children were in an environment where they could play outside daily and not run into any sort of danger. On Tatooine, being outside always had its own hazards between the crime, sandstorms, Tusken raiders, and extreme heat. Not to mention the fact that Anakin hated the sand even as a child when he knew nothing else, so he tried to be outside as little as he possibly could. Padme busied herself with remaking Luke's bed though a maid had already done it.

"I swear they never do this right," she muttered as she pulled back the sheets.

"Padme," he said, laughing slightly. "Can you calm down?" She threw the pillow back down and ran her hands through her hair, "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with me." He kissed her, pulling her close to him.

"Hey, nothing is wrong with you. You're a little stressed, which is perfectly understandable. There's a war that's about to be started with the people you represent in the forefront plus you're worried about me plus someone just tried to capture you plus you're a mother to three who never slow down."

"Yeah but you have to worry about the same things," she said, standing on her toes to kiss him. "And you're so calm."

"Padme, I've been trained to deal with hundreds of stressful situations and make a decision that could mean thousands of lives. With all due respect, I think I can deal with stressful situations a little better than you." She laughed at him, "If you do say so yourself. What an odd thing to be proud of, you know?" She was looking blankly at the wall and she remained silent for some time, just looking.

"Padme, you're depressed," he said, concern etched in his voice.

"Dad's dying," she said quietly.

"Oh Padme," he said, holding her closer. She sniffed loudly, which Anakin recognized as her trying to hold back tears.

"It's fine. He's just like…I mean you don't expect it, you know?" she said. She was obviously distressed; Anakin had never heard her be less articulate. Well, she wasn't incredibly articulate while giving birth but this came a close second. He sat on Luke's bed and pulled her down next to him. He put his arm around her and after resisting at first she leaned against him.

"We should take the kids to see him again," she said.

"Of course, should we go tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Aren't you taking Luke to the Council tomorrow?"

"Yeah but we could do it another time."

"No, we can go the day after tomorrow. I need to get ready for that anyway," she said. Not knowing what to say he kissed her, trying to put a lot of unsaid things in the gesture.

"Are you excited about taking Luke?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject. He went along with it, knowing that this was Padme's way of coping with grief.

"I'm so excited. I don't want to force it on him but I really hope he wants to be a Jedi," Anakin said. She smiled, "If he doesn't want to be a Jedi after spending a day with you then he would never want to be one."

* * *

"Do you ever think about growing a beard?" Padme asked Anakin as she stood in the bathroom doorway watching him shave. He had just stepped out of the shower, a towel slung low on his hips and his hair messy. He glanced at her in the reflection of the mirror, a white beard of shaving cream spread across his face.

"A beard?" he laughed, "Should I be worried about your feelings for Obi-Wan?"

"Oh come on Anakin, you know the sexiest thing about Obi-Wan is his accent," she teased. Anakin shot her a menacing look in the mirror.

"Hey I am not immune to Obi-Wan's charms but they do not match up even for a second to yours," she said.

"That's better," he laughed, rinsing his face.

"But my handmaidens are the ones who are so taken with him."

"Yeah, Dorme in particular," Anakin said, wiping off his face. The minute he realized what he said he froze, the towel pressed against the bottom side of his face. He knew that she could read him well enough to read into the meaning behind that comment.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing just uh he's um," Anakin stuttered, turning back to look at her but avoiding eye contact. "He once said something one time like," he made a hand motion one would make when trying to swat a fly away, "way back when and I just thought of it and y'know. Yeah," he shrugged and smiled sheepishly at her. Her mouth actually opened in surprise, "Obi-Wan and Dorme? They're dating?" Anakin sighed, "Look, I told him I wouldn't say anything. Dorme wanted to tell you herself."

"But this is wonderful! Wait how long have you been keeping this from me?" she asked, her tone turning stern. He raised his hands in mock surrender, "just since yesterday, relax."

"Has Obi-Wan ever…" she said, smiling wryly at him.

"Ever what?" he asked absently, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush.

"Well you know how technically Jedi could have…I mean…" she said, fidgeting slightly. When Anakin figured out what she was saying he nearly choked on the toothpaste, immediately rinsing out his mouth.

"Oh Force are you asking me if Obi-Wan has ever had sex?" he asked, turning to look at her.  
"…Kinda," she laughed. Anakin rolled his eyes and put his arms around her waist. He looked down at her.

"Are you having sexual fantasies about Obi-Wan? 'Cause you know I can kick his ass," he said quietly, still smiling at her. She reached up to kiss him.

"That wont be necessary my strong Jedi. I was just curious because I mean, he's like ten years older than you. It's just weird to think of someone who's that old who's never had sex," she said.

"Oh Force I do not want to discuss this," he said, walking into the bedroom. Padme laughed, "Why not? You're an adult and it's not like hearing about these things is news to you."

"Yes well," Anakin said, pulling on his pants. "He's like my father, do you want to talk about your father's love life? Plus I can't even think about him kissing Dorme, which I saw by the way, without cringing." Padme threw a pillow at him, which he caught in mid air, barely looking at it.

"You're such a baby." Suddenly he was right in front of her, his arms wrapped around her middle.

"Am I?" he asked quietly. He leaned down to kiss her passionately, holding the back of her head.

"I stand corrected," she said when he finally pulled away. He drew her closer and she rested her head on his still bare chest. "I love you so much," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess you're okay," he said. She punched him lightly on the chest, "You nerfherder."

"Ow that really hurt," he said, rubbing the spot on his chest that she hit.

"Yeah, you're definitely not a baby," she laughed, stepping away from him.

"Hey," he said, taking her hands and holding them to his lips. "I love you more than the whole universe; more than my life which I would willingly give for you," he said, kissing her hands.

"You're sweet," she whispered. She looked at him for a minute before saying, "Do you ever think about what would have happened if we didn't get together? If I didn't give in to my feelings?"

"I wouldn't be the man I am today, I wouldn't be a master right now, let alone Grand Master and Palpatine would probably still be in power," he said flatly.

"You knew that pretty quickly," she said, laughing slightly at his bluntness.

"Well I know a lotta things. I'm a pretty wise man," he said, nodding to her in mock superiority.

"Mhm. So, wise guy, what would I be doing?"

"You, my dear sweet wife, would have chosen one of two options," he said, smiling cheekily. "The first option being that you would have been a lonely spinster left jobless after Palpatine's rise to power so you shacked up with Obi-Wan who's in hiding," he laughed. She hit him in the shoulder, hard this time.

"Ow cut it out that really hurts."

"You are a big strong, muscled Jedi and I am a five foot three one hundred and five pound woman, how could that have hurt?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't know, but it does!" he said, mock-pouting. "Anyway, where was I?"

"Option two," she said, holding up two fingers.

"Ah, yes, option two. You would have married Ian, punched out a few kids and be bored out of your mind."

"And incredibly unhappy," she added.

"Nah, I think you'd be happy enough. I mean, you'd never know what you were missing without me," he said, half kidding.

"I would always regret letting you go," she said, completely serious. His face softened. Though he never doubted for a second how much she loved him, he had always thought that it would have worked out for her if they never married or had a relationship. It was nice to hear that she was certain it wouldn't have.

"Anyway, what are you going to do today?" he asked.

"I have a meeting with Rohan on what's going on in the senate and then I think I'll take our two non-Jedi offspring to swim with their cousins."

"You're going to teach Wilhelm?"

"Yep," she said, smiling.

"Aw I kinda wanted to see that," he said.

"Perhaps it can wait."

"Well, tell Brohan I say hello," Anakin said coldly. Rohan was the newly elected co-senator of the Chommell sector. Padme had asked Bail for his approval in adding a senator along with her to share the job so that she may spend more time away from the senate. Since it was customary for senators to have an additional person, he agreed immediately. Rohan was Padme's age with short blonde hair that was always perfectly styled. He had the clean look of someone who had obviously been very well taken care of as a child. His bright green eyes always had the sparkle of laughter in them. He was good looking in a rich, preppy sort of way. Anakin couldn't stand him. However, Rohan was constantly trying to be friends with him, something that infuriated Anakin.

"Really going with the 'Brohan?' You have three small children and you're stooping to name-calling? Do you seriously think that I can't have male friends without the danger of them trying to have sex with me?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think," he said, ignoring the first part of her comment.

"Anakin," she said. "I know that your heart's in the right place but you have to know that not everyone is as taken with me as you are."

"Padme, you have no idea what goes on in the brains of men. You are incredibly beautiful, funny, and interesting. It's amazing to me you weren't already taken when I saw you again five years ago."

"Thank you Ani but I can take care of myself," she said, patting his cheek. "I've saved you on numerous occasions."

"Yes, and I seem to remember me saving you a few times," he said. He glanced at the chrono on the wall. It was getting late.

"You guys should go," Padme said, almost reading his mind.

* * *

Anakin proudly watched his son stand in the middle of the circle of Jedi Masters. Yoda was holding a viewscreen that flashed images and Luke had to correctly identify which image was on the other side.

"A ship," Luke said nervously. Yoda smiled, his ears curling up.

"Very good, young Skywalker. Correct, all images were. Very talented is the boy."

"Yes, I see no reason for him to be denied training," Shaak Ti said.

"In that case, I would like to take on the majority of his training when he gets a little older. For now, though, Master Yoda, could you train him with the other younglings?"

"My pleasure, it would be," he said, smiling at the boy.

"Okay, that's all I had to discuss today. If no one else has anything then meeting is adjourned," Anakin said. No one said anything, so they got up and left, talking quietly amongst themselves. He got up and walked to Luke who was already speaking with Yoda.

"Good job Luke," he said, kneeling down so he was only slightly taller than Luke and Yoda. "Now you're going to go with Master Yoda and then after a little while we'll go home okay?"

"Okay daddy," Luke said. Anakin hugged him and watched Luke and Yoda leave together. He stood up as he noticed Obi-Wan walking toward him.

"That's so weird," Anakin said, gesturing to Yoda and Luke. "I can't believe my son is old enough to be a youngling."

"Neither can I. I remember when they were born it didn't seem like the Order would ever be restored," Obi-Wan said. "Does Leia have any interest in this?"

"Well, not at the moment. One of the biggest reasons for Luke is that I'm his hero; he looks up to me and I mean, I guess he wants to be like me. Leia mostly looks up to her mom so maybe she'll be a senator or something," Anakin said, shrugging. He was honestly disappointed at his daughter's lack of interest. He knew that if he asked her to try it, she would, but he didn't want to force her. Padme was right. Though he didn't want to admit it, he could see her point. It wasn't fair to make Leia do something when she was young before she could form her own real opinions about it.  
"I have a small confession," Anakin said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I accidentally told Padme about you and Dorme."

"You kept that long," Obi-Wan said. Anakin sensed sarcasm but not anger in his old master's voice.

"I'm sorry, but she guessed herself. Plus, if I remember correctly it took you less than an hour to divulge information about my marriage to Padme to Master Windu," Anakin said, crossing his arms.

"See, it's funny you think that because I seem to remember falling witness to my former padawan spending some early mornings in sleep clothes at a certain senators house in Naboo. That information I kept strictly to myself," Obi-Wan said smoothly, cocking an eyebrow.

"I knew you suspected something," Anakin said almost triumphantly.

"It was honestly hard to miss, especially after falling witness to a moment in which you thought no one was around," Obi-Wan said, smiling coolly at Anakin, who turned a light shade of red.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't feel it was my business. I also didn't want to lose you as a friend or a fellow Jedi, because I knew you'd choose her over the Council or me in a second." They walked silently again. Anakin was touched that Obi-Wan had purposefully ignored their relationship. He felt guilty he couldn't keep Obi-Wan's relationship a secret for more than a day, even though he only told Padme.

"So two days," Anakin said, changing the subject for lack of anything better to say.

"Yes, are the clones prepared?" Obi-Wan asked. Lither had made few more moves since his invasion of Ryloth.

"The clones will be fine," Anakin said coldly. He still didn't feel comfortable around the clones, even though he and the members of the High Council had personally checked all of the commands the captains would respond to. "I'm worried about the Jedi."

"Yes, as am I, especially the padawans."

"Is Whie scared?" Anakin asked. Whie, Obi-Wan and Anakin were scheduled to be on the front lines in a week

"No, I honestly think he's excited. He's so much like you," Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly. "How does Padme feel about it?"

"She's not thrilled but she hasn't exactly said anything about it. Her dad's really sick and she's worried about him too. How does Dorme feel?"

"She's worried but, you know, it's kinda what she does," Obi-Wan said, shrugging.  
"That was weird," Anakin said, smiling absently.

"Is weird your word of the day? What are you calling weird now?"

"We just talked about two women we're involved with without having to cover it up at all." Obi-Wan smiled and nodded, "Weird."

"Master Skywalker, Master Skywalker," a voice from behind them yelled. Anakin turned around to see a young padawan running after them.

"Yes?" Anakin asked as the padawan tried to catch his breath.

"It appears that Lither is about to attack Naboo."


	21. Chapter 21

Anakin burst into the huge room that served as the Queen of Naboo's office. It looked exactly the same as it had when he first saw it when Padme was queen. He remembered that as a child it had overwhelmed him with its giant windows and huge pillars that seemed indestructible. He saw a heavily made up Padme sitting behind the queen's desk looking over a datapad. She glanced up and sprang out of her chair when she saw him. She looked around the room quickly to make sure that no one else was there and she ran to him. He grimaced slightly when he noticed how much she hesitated, how she cared if there was someone else in the room. Everyone knew they were married, what was the point? He had tolerated keeping their relationship a secret for three years; as far as he was concerned they had earned a few public displays of affection. He held her tightly and she pressed her head into his chest.

"Where are Wilhelm and Leia?" he asked, placing his chin on top of her head.

"They're with Verse and another Jedi in one of the rooms here," she said, pulling away from him.

"Who's the Jedi?" Anakin asked, his tone serious. He was extremely paranoid of who spent time with his children especially with the media attention they received. His stomach turned as he thought of the death threats they had already received at their young ages.

"I don't remember but Obi-Wan seemed fine with him," she said.

"What information have you received?" he asked.  
"Well, I heard that what you heard wasn't completely accurate. Lither is not planning to attack Naboo, he's planning on assassinating me, Rohan and the Queen," she said calmly. His expression hardly changed. There had been threats to Padme's life ever since he had known her, this was nothing new.

"So what's your plan?" he asked. She smiled ruefully at him. He sighed and looked at the ceiling; he knew that look.

"Padme, we can't use you as bait."

"Why not? I completely trust you, Obi-Wan and whoever else you would choose to keep anything from happening to me. Plus Lither wont expect it."

"Padme," he said seriously. "I can't take a risk like that."

"Anakin, I honestly believe that you will never let anything bad happen to me if you're around to prevent it."

"What about the kids? This could put them in a lot of danger."  
"Do you honestly think I would put my children in danger? He was apparently planning on killing me during my speech tomorrow. We can keep the kids here with my handmaidens and Jedi while I give the speech," she said calmly. He was still frowning at her. He was incredibly unwilling to risk her life just to catch an assassin. She got on her toes and kissed him deeply, putting her hand on the back of his head. She finally pulled away and laughed quietly when she noticed the shimmer of her lipstick on his lips. She reached up and wiped them off. His expression was softer now and he caressed her cheek. She smiled; she still knew how to get him to do what she wanted.

"Anakin," she whispered, "I'll be fine."

"Yeah alright," he sighed.

"I love you so much," she said.

"I know," he said quietly. She stepped away from him as the large door behind Anakin opened and Rohan walked in.

"Oh good morning Anakin," Rohan said, flashing his white teeth. They were as white as clouds, which Ankain found very creepy. "Lovely day for an assassination attempt. I feel safer already knowing that you're here."

"_Little kiss ass,"_ Anakin thought. He could feel Padme's glare so he forced a pleasant look, "Well I'm glad I can provide some assistance. You know Padme, it seems like she already has it taken care of."

"Yes, a remarkable woman," Rohan said, flashing his cloud teeth at Padme. Anakin's smile vanished and he clenched his back teeth together.

"Milady, the queen, her advisors and Chancellor Organa are in the war room trying to form a plan of action. I'm sure your assistance and the advice of Anakin would help the process immensely," he said, putting a hand on the small of her back to lead her to the room. Anakin clenched his fists so hard it felt like the joints would pop out. How dare he touch her? Anakin marched up to stand next to Padme and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him and forcing Rohan to move his hand away. He smiled to himself. Padme looked up at Anakin and gave him a reproachful look but he kept his arm where it was. When they reached the large wood double doors of the war room, Padme pulled away from Anakin and confidently walked into the room. Anakin and Rohan followed behind her.

"So, do we have any plans yet?" she asked, taking a seat next to the queen.

"None yet, milady. It's difficult as we want to avoid a direct attack on Naboo," Obi-Wan, who was standing behind the Queen, said. Padme felt Anakin standing behind her but didn't bother looking up.

"I have an idea," she said. "I think that we should use me as bait. I believe he was planning on attacking me during my speech tomorrow. The Jedi can be hidden in the crowd, as my handmaidens, and in the adjacent buildings. The second the assassin strikes, the Jedi can spring into action and capture him. This won't stop unless we get answers. Why is he planning to assassinate all of us? What are his other plans for battle? The Jedi can interrogate him. I refuse to let a simple assassin stop me from doing my job."

"Milady, that's incredibly risky," Bail said gently. "Perhaps Master Skywalker or Kenobi have another idea." Padme bowed her head slightly and crossed her arms. Bail looked at Anakin who gave a guilty look to Padme. He cleared his throat slightly; "I might not be the best person to ask for another idea as I already gave the senator my word that I would protect her in that situation. I'm afraid that her mind will not be changed. It's very risky, but we've done it before."

"Unfortunately I agree with Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "Though it is a large risk, it has worked before. This may be the only way the senators and the Queen can continue doing their jobs and may even earn some sympathy from other sectors."

"I agree," the young queen finally said.

"Then it's settled," Padme said. She looked up at Anakin, "I will trust you to come up with a plan to make sure no harm comes to me." He grimaced and nodded. He did not want to risk her life at all, but he knew that if they didn't get any answers, the plans for assassination could get worse and may even succeed.

* * *

Anakin looked down at the square. Padme was standing on a platform giving a speech to the large crowd that had gathered. She was explaining why it was necessary to go to war and had received many cheers. Her people truly loved her. He felt proud to call her his wife. Ahsoka, dressed as a handmaiden in a bright orange robe that clashed fantastically with her skin, was standing behind her to her right and Dorme was standing slightly behind her to her left. Obi-Wan was in the crowd directly in front of the platform. His gaze was aimed above Padme to the windows in the adjacent buildings. It was his job to check that there were no snipers in a building. Other Jedi were stationed throughout the crowd dressed as civilians. When trouble came, Anakin was to jump down onto the platform to defend Padme and to tell the other Jedi where the attacker was. In order to prevent a bomb, they had required that each person entering the square be checked for weapons. This would make it nearly impossible to get a bomb through, but was not foolproof to prevent other weapons from getting in. Suddenly, the ground shook and a huge crack was heard outside of the square. The building Anakin was standing on shook violently but instead of trying to regain his balance, he jumped down, panicking that Padme was hurt. In the back of his mind, he heard three blaster shots fired so he ignited his lightsaber. He would later learn that one of those shots was aimed at him and had missed out of luck and two were meant for Padme. He landed on top of the podium precariously, his arms swinging. He quickly regained his balance and frantically looked around for Padme. Ahsoka had pulled her down, but she looked fine. He tried to get his bearings amidst the chaos and saw that Obi-Wan and the two other Jedi in the crowd had taken off after someone. There was nothing he could do to help, as he hadn't even seen who was firing the shots. He got down from the podium and took Padme's hand, "We need to get out of here." He pulled her along to an armored speeder that was being driven by Whie.

"Are you alright?" he asked before she got into the speeder.

"Yes, but I fear I have just lead many people into great danger," she said.

"It'll be fine, we're going to catch that creep. Dorme," he said, turning to Padme's handmaiden. "Ensure that when you get to the Queen's palace you recognize all of the Jedi there. I'm worried about an impersonator. In fact, make sure you recognize everyone who's in the room. I'll be there shortly." He leaned down to quickly kiss Padme and then ran back to the square, lightsaber in hand. When he reached the now vacant square he met Obi-Wan, who was calmly walking toward him.

"We got him."

"Who is he?" Anakin asked.

"Just a pawn of Lither. Won't be hard to crack. I think there's more, though. In any case, he's being escorted to prison as we speak."

"I want to interrogate him personally," Anakin said darkly.

"Is Dorme alright?" Obi-Wan asked. His voice was quiet but Anakin could hear the urgency. He understood what it was like to be concerned about the safety of one's significant other, even when he had personally seen that she was okay.

"She's fine," Anakin said, putting a hand on Obi-Wan's arm.

* * *

Anakin walked into the interrogation room slowly, his face dark. The room was made of dark gray metal. It was poorly lit in an attempt to make the prisoner nervous. A small metal table was in the middle of the room with two chairs on opposite sides. A young man was sitting in one of the chairs; his hands bound with stun cuffs. He didn't look older than eighteen and Anakin could sense deep hatred in him despite his young age. His dark curly hair seemed to droop as he looked down at his hands. He didn't even look up as Anakin sat in the chair across from him. The Jedi tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically before speaking.

"What's your name?" he asked quietly.  
"Wilhelm," the boy said, still looking at his hands. Anakin was taken aback slightly. For some reason, it was unnerving to him that this man and his son shared the same name. Upon looking closer, they had an eerie resemblance. The same dark curly hair, the same bright blue eyes that were full of wonder. However, he had never sensed this dark, cold hatred in his son. It was then that he realized that this man was someone's child. He was a soldier for the Five Worlds, a member of the all-human male army. It made the war more personal. They weren't just mindless, lifeless droids like Anakin had fought in previous wars. These men, boys mostly, had families; whole lives ahead of them. Anakin shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"I'm Anakin," he said quietly. "What were you sent to do today?"

"I was sent today to kill Senator Padme Amidala," the boy said, finally looking at Anakin. He spoke in a small accent Anakin didn't know the origin of, his w's pronounced as v's.

"How were you to do this?" Anakin asked.

"First with bombs, but then I could not get them past security so I planted one outside and brought with me a blaster." Anakin could tell through his speech patterns that he was not speaking his native tongue, signifying that his home world may not be one of the Five Worlds, whose primary language was Galactic Standard.

"Are you a member of the Five World's army?"

"Yes."

"Why were you sent to kill senator Amidala?" Anakin asked, anger beginning to become audible on the edge of his voice.

"To either start a war or end much of Great Lither's political opposition," the boy said. Anakin could sense his excitement as being chosen as one of "Great Lither's" personal aides.

"He considers your wife a great enemy and sees her death as a way to break you," the boy added, glancing at Anakin before looking back down at his hands.

"How do you know she's my wife?" Anakin hissed. "I thought your world was facing great censorship."

"He has us study you. He wants us to aspire to be as fearless and daring as you on the battlefield and as even-headed when planning an attack." Anakin was taken aback. He was insulted that his image was being used to train young men to fight harder on the battlefield, to kill innocent people.

"Will he send more assassins?"

"Yes. My failure will have me killed, but he will not give up," the boy said, looking Anakin straight in the face.  
"If you give us more information, we will spare your life and give you amnesty."

"No. I cannot live with the shame I have brought my family in my failure to please the Great Leader."

"Your loyalty is…impressive, but I fail to see how your family will be ashamed that you did not kill an innocent woman."

"The senator is far from innocent. She has brought great suffering to my people."

"Many argue that Lither is bringing more suffering to others. However, this is not the point. The point is who else was the target of assassination?" Anakin said, his voice trembling from the strain of trying to stay calm.

"The children," the boy said calmly. Anakin grabbed Wilhelm by the shirt and held him up to his face. For the first time, he saw fear in the boy.

"Lither is attempting to kill my children?" Anakin hissed, shaking the boy.

"Anything to break you," the boy said slowly.

"Were you the one to do it?" Anakin asked, his voice quiet again. The boy didn't say anything, looking at a point on the wall behind Anakin.

"Tell me," Anakin said, his voice a near whisper. The boy shut his eyes.

"Tell me now," Anakin said loudly, shaking the boy.

"I couldn't do it," the boy admitted. "I was supposed to. I just couldn't, not kids. They didn't do anything."

"Did you ever have an opportunity to try?" Anakin asked, releasing the boy.

"Yes, yesterday. They were just in the yard. Someone was watching them, but no one could have stopped me." Anakin inhaled sharply and ran his hands through his hair. The fact that all of his kids, his whole world, could have been taken from him without him even trying to stop it frightened him. It was the type of fear he hadn't felt since Padme was pregnant with Luke and Leia, the same fear he felt when he had his dreams about his mother. He got up from the table in disgust, not looking back at the kid and left the room. He had more questions to ask, but someone else could do it. He didn't want to spend another second in that room.

"How did it go?" Obi-Wan asked as he saw Anakin's white face.

"He was also sent for my kids, Obi-Wan. He could have killed them," Anakin said, his voice cracking. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall.

"It's one thing when it's Padme," he said quietly. "She can take care of herself, you know? She's used to it, she's been dealing with it her whole life. They haven't done anything except share an unfortunate relation to us. What if he had succeeded? Everything I love, gone."

"That's sickening," Obi-Wan agreed. "Perhaps they should hide in Varykino. Make it known they traveled to Chommell and left Senator Rohan to take care of things."

"It's a good idea, but I don't know if Padme will go along with it."

"A padawan can guard them while we're at war," Obi-Wan said.

"Plus all of her security. They'd be fine. All I know is that I'm going to kill Lither," Anakin said darkly.

"You cannot kill the leader of a planet without bringing him to trial," Obi-Wan spoke as if he were quoting the Jedi Code word for word. Anakin's face darkened but he said nothing.

* * *

When he got home it was late and all the lights were off in the house. He crept into the bedroom and found Padme asleep with Wilhelm, Luke and Leia sleeping too. Their bed was huge because Anakin was so restless during the night he used to keep Padme awake. In the larger bed, he could get as far away from her as possible so she could sleep. Though there were no lights on, he could see her in the bright moonlight. Her eyes flicked open as she sensed him walk in. Even after all these years, it shocked him how force sensitive she was.

"Hello there," he whispered.

"Hi Ani," she whispered back, beaming at him. He lay down next to her and reached over to put his hand on Leia's head, who was sleeping closest to Padme.

"They're tired," he whispered.

"Yeah, the handmaidens today wore them out," she whispered. "Plus I think they were really scared. They were asking me about the explosion."

"Oh?" he said, kissing her neck. "What did you say?"

"I said that someone bad was trying to hurt me but the Jedi protected me and then Luke was talking about his day at the Temple," she said, rolling on her back and lacing her fingers through his.

"What did he say?" Anakin asked. He had hardly seen his son since the day before when he had left him to be trained with the other younglings.

"He loves it," she said, smiling absently. "However, he's very disappointed that lightsaber training hasn't started yet."

"I'll show him a few things," Anakin said. He was quiet for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"You're worried," she observed. He nodded but didn't say anything. He wasn't sure if he was going to tell her about how the assassin was also after the children. He knew though, that if he kept it from her she would find out and then be even angrier.

"I interrogated the assassin today," he began slowly. She looked at him intently but said nothing, so he continued. "Just a kid. About nineteen. His name was Wilhelm and he even kind of looked like him, which was a little weird. Anyway, Lither has been brainwashing his army. He-Padme you're really not going to like this-He was also supposed to kill Luke, Leia and Wilhelm. And apparently the other day he had the chance to when they were outside, but he couldn't do it." Padme gasped. Like Anakin, she could deal with threats to herself but not to her children, who she loved more than life itself.

"He's not going to stop. I'm going to kill him Padme, he wont ever touch any of you," Anakin said rather menacingly. She recognized the darkness in him. It was this darkness that nearly took him from her almost three years before. It hadn't come to surface in many years and she was paranoid of its new presence. Though she was shaken, she forced a smile, "Anakin, I have lots of security here. I'll be fine."

"Padme this isn't about that. It's about the kids too now. You can kick and scream all you want about your own security, but what about them?" he said a bit angrily. Her fake smile vanished.

"I know, you're right. So let me guess, Varykino?" she said.

"It wouldn't be bad. I'd be with you until I have to go to war and then another Jedi would be. Someone you know," he said. "Give yourself a break for a while."

"Ani, you know how much I hate that," she said.

"I know but I'm worried about you," he said. She could hear the sadness and desperation in his voice. She sighed, "Fine. Only because I love you so much, and them," she said, gesturing to the kids. He kissed her gently, "Thank you. We'll go tomorrow."

"Anakin I have to work things out in the senate," she said, her frustration apparent.

"Like tell Rohan and the Queen?" he said.

"Yes, exactly."

"Well good thing I already informed them," he said, kissing her neck. He could sense her relief; the past few days had been stressful for her. He moved his kisses below her neck but she pushed him away gently.

"Ani," she said quietly.

"What?" he asked, moving back to place kisses on her chest. She pushed him away again, harder this time, "Have you forgotten that our three children are right here?" she whispered.

"Oh, right," he said dejectedly. She kissed him, "Some other time."

"Mhm," he said, getting out of bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Well I can see I'm not wanted here so I was going to go hang out with Obi-Wan, he at least he likes me," he said, smiling slightly.

"Shut up," she said, throwing a pillow at him.

"Just changing, I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

When he collapsed back into bed a few minutes later Padme was fast asleep, cuddling Leia close to her. The second he shut his eyes it seemed he was immediately asleep.

It was bright outside and the air smelled like water. The green trees rustled in the breeze. Anakin took a deep breath, enjoying his walk immensely. It was still hard for him to get used to the fresh air and nature that surrounded Naboo. He had only ever known the barren Tatooine and then the urban Coruscant. He was at the house sooner than he thought he would be. He stood at the gate for a minute; something wasn't right. He heard no sounds of children playing and couldn't sense them in the house. Maybe they went out. As he got to the door he sensed a great disturbance in the Force. He shook his head, nothing _looked_ wrong in the house, at least. It was then that he noticed that both of the speeders were parked in the driveway, signifying that Padme could not have taken the kids out. Maybe they went swimming. He walked into the house and his knees nearly buckled at the disturbance he felt; there was something terribly wrong in the Force. He could sense Padme in the house and for some reason his body began to panic.

"Padme," he called, his voice shaking. He looked in the kitchen, then darted into the living room. No one was there. The house was completely still-C-3PO and R2-D2 weren't even there. He began to get frantic. He ran upstairs and looked in each of the kid's rooms, no one was there.

"Padme," he called again, his voice cracking in dismay. He then ran to their bedroom, praying that she wasn't there. It was then that his worst fear was realized. Padme lay on the carpeted floor of their bedroom lifeless, a lightsaber wound on her chest. The white carpet showed bright red blood splotches all over. Blood pooled like lava beneath her.

"Padme," he said, feeling tears in his eyes. He knelt beside her and cradled her head to his face. Her eyes fluttered and she looked at him.

"Ani," she whispered, putting a hand to his face.

"I'm here," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. He could feel her slipping away, just like his mother. "Hold on, Padme, I'll get help."

"No, no," she whispered. "It's too late. The Jedi-." Her voice broke and her hand fell to her side. Her eyes were still looking at him, but the life had gone out. Anakin gasped for air, hot tears rolling down his tan cheeks. He gently reached down and closed her eyes, setting her back on the ground. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, trying to regain control of his emotions. His hand fell to the ground, but to his surprise he was touching grainy, rough sand and not the plush carpet. He opened his eyes and realized he was now on Tatooine. The house looked familiar and it didn't take long to realize that this was the Lars' house. He saw a sandy haired boy run out of the domed door. He was looking at the two golden suns, lost in thought. It was Luke, Anakin realized. Luke as a teenager, he looked eighteen.

"Luke," Anakin called. He tried to get up from his kneeling position but found that he was waist deep in sand. He was sinking. Luke looked at Anakin with the expression one would give to a stranger. They were only about ten feet away from each other, but Luke hadn't noticed Anakin until he called.

"Luke, help me," Anakin called, reaching out a hand. The sand was now up to his chest. Look squinted at him, his eyebrows furrowed. It was the same look Anakin had when he was confused.

"Uncle Owen," Luke called. Owen came out. He was much older than he was when Anakin met him, his hair graying and his expression sour.

"Who's that man?" Luke asked, pointing to Anakin.

"Son," Anakin said, his voice cracking. How could his own son not recognize him? The sand was up to his chin.

"That's no one, come inside," Owen said, leading Luke back into the house. Anakin was completely buried now, but before he could panic he was standing. He looked around. He was in a large room. The floors and walls, which were about ten feet high, were white. He heard a woman speaking behind him and whipped around to see Leia. She looked around the same age as Luke had. She was speaking to a man with gray hair and wrinkles on his face. Bail Organa, Anakin realized.

"Leia," Anakin said as she walked right past him. Leia glanced at him and nodded politely but kept walking.

"Leia, wait," he said, walking behind her. This time Bail turned around, "Excuse me, what is your business here?" Anakin looked at him, confused. Though Bail was inexplicably older as was Leia, there was no way he would address him like that.

"Bail, that's Leia, my daughter. Please let me speak with her," Anakin said, trying to push past him.

"Daddy who is this?" Leia asked. Anakin made to answer but realized that she was talking to Bail.

"Security," Bail called. Two large men came up behind Anakin. He went for his lightsaber but it wasn't on his belt. Before he could try something else he was again in another setting. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he was at the Jedi Temple on Naboo. Wilhelm was standing outside dueling Obi-Wan. He looked around sixteen.

"Wilhelm, Obi-Wan," Anakin called, running toward them. Obi-Wan's hair and beard were now gray, but thick as ever. He looked much older. Wilhelm stopped fighting and looked back at Anakin, confused.

"Hello there, who are you?" Wilhelm asked, smiling uncomfortably. He shared that habit with his mother, who frequently smiled when she was uneasy. Wilhelm was handsome, his curly brown hair falling around his chiseled face and his bright blue eyes providing a striking contrast to his hair and skin, which was tan from spending hours in the sun. He was Anakin's height and thin but still muscled from his years of Jedi training, which were apparent in how he handled a lightsaber.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, walking toward him. "You shouldn't be here," he said quietly, putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"But that's my son," Anakin said, making to walk toward Wilhelm.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said forcefully, taking Anakin by the shoulder and leading him away from Wilhelm, who was standing still. "You cannot be here. Please leave. Wilhelm is not your child anymore, he belongs to the Order."

"Get the hell out of my way," Anakin said, pushing past his old friend. Obi-Wan grabbed him hard by the arm and pulled him away from his son, who looked alarmed. "What happened to Luke and Leia? Why don't they recognize me?"

"You cannot be with them anymore, Anakin. They are not your children anymore," Obi-Wan said firmly.

Anakin sat straight up in bed, gasping for air. He was sweating profusely and panting. Padme was sitting up too, an alarmed look on her face. He noticed the kids weren't in bed anymore.

"Padme," he said, relieved that at least her death was a dream. "Where are the kids?" he became frantic again.

"They're back in their beds. You were having a really bad dream and…said things. I sent them to their rooms," she said slowly. She was trembling. He wondered what he had said that had made her so frightened. He jumped out of bed and ran to each of the children's rooms, checking to make sure that each was there and each was their proper age. He immediately relaxed when he saw that all were fine and fast asleep. She had followed him to each room, not exactly sure what he was doing.

"Anakin," she finally said when he was done. "What's wrong?" He looked at her, shaking his head. She saw fear in his eyes, something that hadn't been present for years.

"I had the worst dream of my life. It felt so real," he said, his voice shaky.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the living room. He sat on the large blue couch and she sat next to him, stroking his hair.

"Tell me," she said.

"Well it was long. You were alone in the house, dying. You had been stabbed by a lightsaber and you," he hesitated, trying to stay in control of his feelings. "You died. And then I was on Tatooine at Owen's house and Luke was there, he was eighteen. He didn't recognize me; I think he was living with Owen. Then I was on Alderaan in the palace. Leia was there, she was eighteen too and she didn't recognize me either. Bail had adopted her she called him father. He didn't know me either. Then I was on Naboo by the Temple. Obi-Wan and Wilhelm were there, having a sparring match. Wilhelm was sixteen and like the others didn't know me. Obi-Wan was trying to get me away from him, he said that I wasn't their father anymore," Anakin's voice broke and he sank his head into his hands. She didn't know what to say, so she simply rubbed his back and then pulled him to her. She stroked his hair.

"Anakin it was just a dream."

"You know it's more than that," he said.

"I know but…but sometimes dreams are just dreams. You know Obi-Wan would never do that to you, you know your children would never be taken from you and would never forget you. The dream you had about me dying in childbirth didn't come true."

"But that was from Palpatine. This seemed real."

"Anakin, come back to bed. Meditate on it tomorrow, talk about it with Obi-Wan."

"I wont let it happen," he said, looking her in the face. He didn't say what he was thinking, which was that he would destroy the whole Order single handedly before he let anyone do anything to his family.

"I know," she said, kissing him. "Let's just get to sleep."


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: No characters belong to me, all to George Lucas.

* * *

Flecks of sunlight peeked through the curtains and onto his face. Padme watched Anakin sleep and fought back the urge to run her hand through his short hair. He had done away with the shaggy, shoulder length hair he had when she was pregnant with Luke and Leia in favor of a style that would be less in his way. His hair was still long enough to stick up messily due to his habit of running his hands through it. He breathed deeply, his nose making a soft hissing sound as his lungs filled with air and his eyes cracked open. They slid to look at her, widening to their normal shape as she came into focus. He rolled over to face her, his hand resting on her hip. She reached up to smooth out his hair and gave him a small smile.

"I'd like to visit my parents today," she said quietly, her hand sliding down to his cheek.

"I'll go with you," he whispered.

"No. You don't have to, you don't need to see that."

"I don't care," he said. "You need me. I'm going to be there. Besides, your dad likes me." He kissed her frowning lips. Her expression softened slightly and she rolled on her back to stare at the light purple ceiling.

"Maybe I wont go," she said quietly.

"You need to. He loves you so much," he whispered, pulling her closer and kissing the side of her face. She rested the back of her head on his chest and lazily played with his hands, lacing and unlacing her fingers in his. The door whooshed open and tiny footsteps thudded on the carpet.

"Daddy," Leia said, jumping on the bed.

"Good morning princess," Anakin said, sitting up to hug the jumping toddler to him.

"You never told me a story," she whined.

"I guess I didn't," he said. She looked at him expectantly, her eyes wide. He laughed, slightly rolling his eyes, "So, what? You want to hear one now?" She crossed her arms and nodded enthusiastically. Anakin sighed, "Sweets, I can't right now. I promise I will later."

"But you always say that," she said angrily, her voice getting higher. "Daddy, please, you have to." Anakin glanced hopefully at Padme, who was generally the final say in disagreements like this.

"Well you did promise," she said, smiling mockingly at him.

"Okay, okay, fine. My stories aren't even that great anyway. What do you want to hear about?" Leia shrugged big, her eyes turning to circles and her mouth turned down, "I don't know."

"Okay, well, once there-"

"You have to start it right," she interrupted.

"Yes, you're absolutely right," Anakin said, sighing slightly and clearing his throat.

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a boy. He was about nine or ten, around the same age as your cousin Pooja. He didn't live like you or me, Leia, he was a slave. He was forced to work for someone for no money. All he had in the world was his mother, and all she had was him. One day he met an angel. She was a little older than he was, but he didn't care. He loved her the minute he saw her and knew that one day they would be together. She saved him, freed him so he didn't have to be a slave anymore. He became a Jedi."

"Like you," she interjected.

"Yeah, a little like me," he said, winking at Padme. "Anyway, he lost touch with this girl. He didn't see her for ten years, but not a day went by where he didn't think about her. Finally, they were reunited because he had to protect her. Someone was trying to kill her and he was only a padawan at the time so the Council assigned him to be her bodyguard. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, but he didn't give up on trying to be with her. One day they heard that one of the boy's friends had been taken hostage by an evil count. They rushed to his rescue only to be captured themselves. They were set to be executed the next day by being killed by a giant beast. She was to be killed by a Nexu, which is like a giant cat with huge fangs and claws. The boy had a reek, which is a giant animal who could crush anything in its path by stomping on it or hitting it with his horn. Their friend had to fight an acklay, which kinda looks like a giant bug with big sharp feet. Anyway, they were all tied up to poles that were about thirty feet high. While the two Jedi tried to figure out what they were going to do, the girl had some better ideas. She picked the lock on her chains and climbed to the top of the pole, out of harms way for a few minutes. The boy jumped on the back of the reek which then killed the Nexu who had climbed up and scratched the girl. Soon, hundreds of other Jedi came to save them. The battle was soon won when more troops came, but the boy and his friend had to fight the evil Count. He was very strong and nearly a match for their strengths combined. He brought the boy's friend down, but after a long battle the boy finally killed him. After the victory the girl admitted that she truly loved him and they were married. The end," he concluded, smiling at Padme.

"I like it. You should tell more stories like that," Leia said. He kissed the top of her head and said, "How was that story different from the others?"

"Because you always talk about adventures but not about people getting married," Leia said.

"Huh, I guess I do," Anakin said, his tone serious.

"Yes, yes you do," Leia said triumphantly, a superior look on her face that mimicked an expression Padme often gave when she made a particularly insightful observation. His serious expression was suddenly replaced by a wide smile and he started tickling Leia. She shrieked and tried to squirm away, giggling and crying stop.

"Alright, alright," he said, letting her go. "Go to the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute."

"Cute story," Padme said as they watched Leia scurry out of the room.

"Thought you might like it," he said, kissing her lightly on the lips and collapsing back on the pillows, pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Come on," she said, pulling the blankets back down and attempting to pull him up. "I'm not dealing with all three of them by myself." He groaned and got up, putting his arm around her as they walked. As they neared the kitchen they were greeted by the sounds of two high-pitched voices growing louder.

"Did not," Leia cried.

"Did too," Luke yelled.

"I'll take care of this," Anakin sighed, taking his arm from around Padme's waist.

"I'll go wake up Wilhelm."

"Okay enough you two," Anakin said loudly.

"Daddy when do I get to use a lightsaber?" Luke asked, his voice on the verge of whining.

"Well, for one thing right now a standard lightsaber is bigger than you are, so lightsaber training will probably start in a few months," Anakin said gently, setting down two bowls of cereal in front of the twins.

"What is Master Yoda going to have me do today?"

"I'm not sure, but you aren't going to the Temple today."

"Why not?" Luke asked angrily.

"Because we're going to see grandma and grandpa today."

"But why?" Luke whined.

"Because that's what we're doing," Anakin replied coolly. "Besides, I thought you liked going to your grandparents house."

"But I want to go to the Temple," he cried, his face turning red and splotchy.

"Luke that's enough. This isn't how Jedi act, they do not whine if things aren't going the way they want," Anakin said sharply. He liked to think that he was generally pretty easy going with his children, but Luke was really pushing it. Padme was already nervous about going; she didn't need to hear how unenthusiastic her children were about it too. Luke crossed his arms and jutted out his lower lip but said nothing.

"Good morning," Padme sang, waltzing into the kitchen with a drowsy Wilhelm resting his head on her shoulder.

"Luke sweetie you okay?" she asked, smoothing down his hair and sitting next to him.

"Luke's just a little tired," Anakin said pointedly. "He'll be fine in a few minutes."

"Okay," she said kindly, putting Wilhelm into his highchair. "Kids did daddy tell you what we're doing today?"

"Yes we're seeing grammy and grandpa," Leia said eagerly.

"And remember, grandpa isn't feeling very well so we have to be very quiet when we see him okay?" Padme said.

"Mommy, grammy and grandpa are your mommy and daddy right?" Leia asked, climbing into Padme's lap.

"Yes," Padme said, putting her arms around Leia.  
"Then why don't we see daddy's mommy and daddy?" Padme glanced at Anakin. He was looking at the ground, the corners of his mouth pressed down. She knew that he didn't feel as strongly about his mother's death as he had in the past, but it was a scar he would always carry with him. He still blamed himself for letting her die despite Padme constantly arguing otherwise.

"Because I don't have any parents," he said benevolently, giving Leia a small smile.

"Why not?" Wilhelm asked.

"Well I never had a father and my mom died before you guys were born," he said, trying to keep his voice impassive. "She was an amazing woman though, she would have loved you guys."

* * *

The house Padme had grown up in no longer hummed with energy. The bright blue exterior seemed dull now, almost gray. Bright flowers no longer surrounded it, overgrown grass and bushes taking their place. In his sickness Ruwee had trouble standing, so naturally yard work was not high on his list of priorities.

"Remember, best behavior you three," Padme gently reminded her children as they reached the door. She kneeled down to straighten Leia's dress and smooth out Wilhelm's curly hair.

"Padme, they're fine," Anakin said quietly.

"I know. Just fixing small things," she said breathily, standing up beside him. He took her hand and rapped loudly on the door. Padme tensed up next to him, tightening her grip on his hand. He wished he could do something to help her but he was out of ideas. He hoped that standing there next to her would be enough, at least for now.

The door whooshed open to reveal Jobal. Though as elegant and dignified as always, she seemed much older and much more tired than she should have. Her hair, usually as dark and thick as Padme's was thinner and had streaks of gray in it. The normally shallow, easily covered up lines on her face that had been there since Anakin had known her were now deep reminders of her age and everything she had been through of late. Despite all this, her face lit up when she saw the small family.

"Padme, Anakin," she said, pulling both of them into a hug. "And how are my lovely grandchildren?" They hugged her as she knelt down to look at them.

"Oh my, Leia," she said, putting a hand on the child's rosy cheek. "You get more beautiful each time I see you. And Luke, how is my strong Jedi?" Luke beamed and immediately leapt into stories about his day at the Temple. She was a great audience, gasping at moments that were particularly climactic and laughing when he did his impression of Yoda's hunched over walk and voice.

"Very good," she said, clapping her hands together. She turned her attention to Wilhelm who was pressed against his father.

"Oh Will, you look sleepy." He rubbed his eyes and nodded. Anakin reached down and picked him up, examining his son's face. Trying to ignore the worried look on Padme's face and the gnawing feeling in his stomach, he put on a wide smile.

"Feeling okay, buddy?" he asked. Wilhelm just nodded and put his head back down on his father's shoulder. Anakin patted his back and exchanged a concerned look with Padme. Wilhelm was usually their most bubbly and vivacious child. He loved talking to everyone, especially his grandmother who he adored. He would ignore it for now, not wanting to stress Padme out anymore.

"Come in," Jobal said, leading them in. She turned to Padme, her voice a bit quieter, "He's out on the patio." Before she could hesitate Anakin gave her a small push on the back and before she knew it, she was walking towards the large glass doors that led to the backyard. They slid open and she slowly stepped onto the stone patio. Her father was slumped over in a chair looking out into the spacious yard. She didn't know what he was looking at. It was just green, no flowers or trees anymore. Well, that wasn't entirely true. The flowers and trees were all dead and drooped over as much as Ruwee was himself. No little animals scurried around in the yard and no birds sang. She sat in a chair next to him, trying not to look too closely at him for fear that she would catch too long a glimpse of the shadow of the great man her father once had been. The illness he had contracted about a year ago was slowly eating away at his mind, truly a tragedy for someone who had loved knowledge as much as her father had. A part of Padme was glad he likely had no idea what was happening to him.

"Hi dad," she said, forging a smile. He didn't turn to look at her, only looked down to stare at his chapped hands.

"Padme," he murmered absently.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked kindly, putting a hand on his arm, He looked down at her hand for a longtime, saying nothing. He pattered her hand and looked back out into the yard.

"I've certainly been better. You know, you've faced death threats ever since you were twelve. Tell me, Padme, how did you deal with the constant worry?" Padme blinked rapidly, taken aback by the question. In all honesty she had never really thought about it.

"You can't think like that for starters," she said, trying to give an answer that would warrant a response so she could buy some time to think of a real answer. He just looked at her, his droopy blue eyes boring into her. As she looked at him, wracking her mind for a response, she realized that for the first time in her life her father looked small and helpless. He was scared, scared for his life.

"I think that I just remind myself that my duty is more important than my life, so at least if I die I will die knowing I did something worthwhile."

"What am I doing that's worthwhile?" he muttered. Though Padme came up with dozens of retorts she voiced none of them, recognizing this as a question that wanted no answer.

"As noble a thought as that may be, now you have a family and a husband who has an incredibly dangerous job. Quit the senate so your children wont be orphaned, I beg you," he said clearly this time. Padme took her hand off her father's arm and sat back in her chair, visibly surprised. Though her parents never made it a secret they felt her job was too dangerous, they had never gone so far as to ask her to quit.

"Dad, you know I can't do that," she said, her voice low. He offered no reply to this and shut his eyes. Padme sighed, understanding that this meant they were done talking. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you dad," she said quietly. He merely nodded. Unable to ignore the aching lump in her throat anymore, she attempted to walk back into the house with some dignity. Right before the door slid open he called to her. She straightened up and turned to look at him, attempting to hide any sign of distress. He turned in the chair to look at her with difficulty. His face was red and pinched in pain. He ignored his obvious discomfort and smiled warmly at her and through the anguish she saw the kind, understanding man she had known her whole life.

"I love you too, Padme. I hope you know that." She gave a small smile and nodded, backing away from him and into the house.

* * *

He leaned back in his chair and took a long, silky drag of his cigarra, the smoke dancing out of his mouth. He swiveled his seat to face the huge window and looked down on the bustling city below. Lither Fadol smirked, his moustache curling up. He was incharge of all of them. They were at the mercy of his every whim. If he gave the order they could all die before they knew what hit them…literally. He took another puff of his cigarra and beamed down at a young couple holding hands. If he felt like it, he could order the young man to be shot right there in the street and watch with glee as the young woman fell apart. If he felt like it. He smirked again as the holorecorder sitting on his desk beeped. He spun around and snubbed out his cigarra, which made a hissing sound as it was extinguished. The gray, fuzzy hologram of a uniformed officer appeared. He was clutching his cap, nervously turning it over in his hands. He smiled again at the boy's nervousness.

"Sir," the boy said, his voice trembling. "Minister Frank Gother is here with the plans for the next attempt."

"Good, show him in," he said coolly. His Minister of War had a particular interest in the Skywalker's. He wanted nothing more than to see Skywalker suffer and was the one who informed Lither that the best way to do this was through his wife. Lither didn't quite understand why the other man wanted to see the woman dead but he did not care much for the reason as long as she did in fact die. The door slid open to reveal an incredibly smug looking Frank Gother. He practically slithered into the room, a huge grin on his face.

"Good evening my leader," he said, slapping a large datapad onto his desk. Lither nodded and took out his round reading glasses, leaning back in his chair as he examined the information.

"Attack Naboo?" he said, glancing at the other man. "Wont that make him suspicious? Add security around her?"

"Sir, you need to understand something about this man," Frank said, sliding into a chair across from Lither's desk with no invitation. "He is arrogant, too sure of himself. If he thinks she is safe, he will never second-guess that. The minute he hears of our attack he will protect her, we all know where he will hide her, and then he'll go off to fight. The thing you have to understand about her is that she will not sit still if she senses danger for someone, especially if she was told to stay where she is. You can see how that will be her undoing." He pointed to a sentence on the datapad and Lither cracked another smile.

"Excellent," he breathed. "Excellent. Wonderful. This is flawless. Skywalker will never see this coming, let alone Amidala."

"So the plan shall be executed?"

"Yes," Lither said, smiling menacingly. He looked rather insane. He had pulled off his glasses to expose his glittering gray eyes lined with wrinkles and his hair was falling over his face. "In a month, Amidala will no longer be a problem." They both started cackling and he lit another cigarra, spinning back around to look down on the city.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: All characters, except those I made up, belong to George.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey everybody. I want to first thank you all for reading and sorry there's been such a delay in updating chapters lately. I just finished my Sophomore year of high school and towards the end things got kind of crazy as far as school work went and I didn't have much time to write.

As many of you have correctly guessed, the whole Five Worlds thing is an obvious nod at World War II and Hitler. I was always fascinated with the connections between history and star wars and sort of wanted to explore that here. There are only going to be a few more chapters of this story (as it's already gone on much longer than I expected) and those chapters will probably be much more exciting than these past ones. I'm shooting for only three or four more chapters including an epilogue. I'm also going to write a sequel to this focusing on Luke, Leia and Wilhelm. I hope you guys are enjoying this and I always appreciate comments =]. I've been trying to improve my writing a lot so I hope it's gotten a little better. Enjoy.

* * *

Anakin woke early the next morning and slipped out of bed slowly, trying to keep the mattress as still as possible so he didn't wake Padme. He bit his lip as the bed creaked, moving even slower and willing the bed to stay silent. He glanced back as he felt her beginning to stir but she simply rolled over. He padded into the 'fresher and flinched slightly as he realized that the noise of the sanistream would likely wake Padme anyway. He sighed and stated the water. Hopefully she was sleeping deeper than she usually did. The water was freezing cold, the way he always had it. He relaxed immediately as he felt the icy cold drops roll down his back, leaving goose bumps in their wake. It was deliciously, mind numbingly cold. It was the type of cold that makes the skin tingle as it gets warm. Anakin loved that prickling feeling. So often things were just one way, no inbetween. Hot, cold; complicated, simple. All the extremes that were a part of life. At least eventually this freezing left a temporary feeling that something was chancing, if only the sense of heat on his skin. He turned the water off quickly, enjoying the even colder bite of air hitting the flecks of water on his flesh. He brushed his teeth and shaved quickly as he experienced the daily sensation of the coldness on his skin turning into warmth. He pulled on his clothes and slinked back into the bedroom. From what he could see, Padme was still fast asleep. Her black silhouette rose and fell gently with her breathing. He felt even warmer as he saw her, so peaceful and worry free. He held his breath as he tiptoed up to her, willing her to stay sleeping. He lightly brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. She sighed and rolled over, pulling the blankets tighter around herself. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed, wrap his arms around her and fall back to sleep. But, as always, he had a meeting to get to and work to get done. They were officially attacking the Five Worlds tomorrow and he still had a lot of planning to do. He sighed and turned away from Padme, creeping through the dark house quickly. He moved even faster when he passed his children's rooms. It wasn't like him to avoid them, but he had little time for cries of daddy and insistent requests to tell a story. However, he did stop when he saw a pool of yellow light coming from Wilhelm's room. He glanced at the chrono on the wall, which told him it was still way too early for Wilhelm to be awake. This he couldn't ignore. He peeked into the room to find Wilhelm sitting on the floor surrounded by an army of toys. They were all lined up nearly in blocks and he was speaking to them with the authority he had inherited from his mother.

"We will attack at dawn!" he said excitedly. He then appeared to begin the attack, literally throwing the toys posing as soldier and slamming the miniature ships together. It was really rather cute, but why was he doing it this early?

"Wilhelm," Anakin said, causing the small boy to jump. "Why are you up so early?"

"I had a dream," he said, gazing up at his father.

"Again?" Anakin asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor across from him.

"I have them a lot," the boy admitted, waving a ship around. Anakin picked one up with the force and flew it around Wilhelm's head. He watched the boy's face in amusement, the child's blue eyes growing wide and his mouth smaller. He giggled as he tried to catch it in the air and Anakin darted it away from his outstretched hands.

"Is this why you've been so tired?" Anakin asked. Wilhelm finally caught the ship, setting it on the ground and attempting to fly it himself. He stretched out his hand and screwed his face up in concentration, trying to lift the small toy. The boy could usually almost do it and-to his mother's distress-gotten quite good and moving things (or, more accurately, knocking things over). His powers were greater than his brother's, though he was a year younger. Curious. The boy nodded yes in response to Anakin's question.

"What was the dream about?"

"Mommy got hurt and then she was gone and then you were gone," Wilhelm said, still focusing hard on the toy. What could he say? He was only a child, it's not as if Anakin could tell him to meditate. He had told Wilhelm before that he had nothing to worry about, but he didn't waste his breath on that now. He knew what those dreams were like, knew that no reasoning or common sense could make them any better.

"Why didn't you come and get me?"

"The hallway was in my dream and it was scary," Wilhelm said, giving up on his attempts to levitate the ship. Anakin sighed and stood, scooping up his son.

"Can you get back to sleep?" Anakin asked, putting the two-year-old in his small bed. Wilhelm nodded and put his arms around his father's neck for a hug. Anakin hugged back and pulled the blankets up to his chin.

"Okay, now get to sleep. If you have another dream and you're too scared to come and get me I want you to shut your eyes really tight like this," Anakin said, scrunching up his face and jamming his eyes closed. "And tell yourself that it's just a dream and there's nothing real about it. Keep telling yourself that until you aren't afraid anymore, because it is only a dream, not reality. Then you can go back to sleep, okay? I promise that nothing's going to happen if you do dare leave this room. C-3PO would never allow it."

"He'd just talk."

"Nah, he can be tough. Just you see. Goodbye Will." Wilhelm nodded and shut his eyes and Anakin could sense him relaxing. He shut off the light and scurried out of the house, hoping he wouldn't run into the aforementioned "tough" droid who would likely wake everyone if he ran into Anakin and started blabbing.

* * *

"Hey Skyguy," Ahsoka said as he walked into the Temple.

"Oh, Ahsoka," he said, trying to hide his surprise at seeing her. Jedi don't get startled; it's once of the emotions they don't possess, just like fear and joy. Anakin mentally rolled his eyes as he thought of it. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I could ask the same of you," she said. For a reason unbeknownst to Anakin, she seemed to be amused by something. The corners or her mouth twitched and she was biting her lower lip.

"What's so funny?" he asked, continuing his brisk walk to the conference room. She tagged behind him, nearly being forced to run to keep up with his quick pace.

"You just look so intense right now and you've obviously been awake for like an hour. Plus Leia's doll is in the pocket of your robe," she laughed, pulling the small pink toy out of his pocket and holding it up to his nose. Anakin took it from her and slowed enough to focus briefly on it. The thing was a rather misshapen blob that if not for it's furry, floppy ears wouldn't have looked like it was meant to resemble any living thing. It at one time looked like an animal native to Naboo that was long extinct now. It had been Padme's when she was a child and Leia cherished it.

"Bunbun," Anakin said after he realized exactly what it was. Leia had given it that name when she was just a few months old and unable to actually talk, only spout baby nonsense. Padme liked the it so much and insisted that it was a much better name than she had given it as a child that the name stuck. After naming her own son Wilhelm, Anakin didn't doubt that even as a kid Padme had a rough time with short, simple names.

"Excuse me?" Ahsoka laughed at Anakin's near gibberish exclaimation.

"That's what Leia named it. She loves this thing."

"I don't even have a response to that."

"So I have something to ask you," Anakin said, quickly changing the subject as they sat in the cushioned seats in the conference room.

"How would you feel about taking a few days off the war and hanging out with my family?"

"Let me guess: bodyguard duty?" she said, pulling out her datapad and examining it with a look of deep concentration.

"Do not play a game while I'm talking to you, Snips," he said, pulling the device out of her hands to play the game himself. "But yes, bodyguard duty."

"Thanks dad," Ahsoka said sarcastically, crossing her arms. "But yeah, I suppose I could stand a little time with the Skywalker's. When?"

"How about a week starting tomorrow?"

"A week?" Ahsoka asked. Anakin bit the inside of his cheek to hide a grin. Her voice sounded exactly like Leia's when something wasn't going her way.

"I'm a Jedi master," she whined. "As much as I love your family, I can't be stuck doing padawan work for a week."

"Okay, okay, fine," Anakin said quickly. He mostly just wanted to get her to stop talking. It was too early for her shrill, angry voice. "How's three days?"

"Sounds great." They sat and chatted for a few minutes as those called to be present at the meeting shuffled in and took their seats. They were mostly generals, pilots and Jedi scheduled to be deployed into battle tomorrow. They already looked bored and he hadn't even begun talking. He was supposed to tell them key battle plans-a discussion that had put him to sleep on more than one occasion during the Clone Wars. He could tell that this audience would be even less attentive. Whatever. They can deal with it. Anakin stood in the middle of the room and explained battle plans, no longer caring for the monotonous tone in his voice and the dryness of the subject matter, earning a few approving nods from Obi-Wan and causing a few padawans to allow their heads to droop only to snap up upon feeling their master's gaze on them. No one really looked at him except one woman whom Anakin didn't recognize. She hadn't taken her eyes off of him the whole time, even when he pulled up a hologram of the battle. She wasn't a Jedi; he would have known her. A pilot perhaps. He decided not to dwell on it. Whoever she was probably didn't matter much to him anyway. He concluded the meeting and dismissed the sleeping audience, most of who all but ran out the door. He made to walk over to Obi-Wan and Quinlan, who were talking quietly by the window but found his path blocked by the woman who had been staring at him.

"Oh um…excuse me," he said, glancing down at her. She looked a little younger than him, maybe 20 or 22. She had flowing blond hair that fell to about the middle of her back, ivory colored skin and light blue, almost violet eyes. She wasn't totally unpleasant to look at, Anakin conceded. He might go so far as to call her pretty, but as always, not even close to Padme. Her pink lips stretched into a smile when he looked at her-an expression that seemed to be so contagious he felt the corners of his own mouth twitching into a smile.

"My name's Rose Enrot, Master Vos told me that we were going to be together during the war. I'm a pilot," she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. He begrudgingly took it, shooting a smug looking Quinlan a nasty look that only made his friend's smirk turn into an obnoxious smile. Along with Obi-Wan, Quinlan was in charge of planning many battle logistics. Quinlan, knowing of Anakin's rather unchecked ego when it came to flying well, must have decided that now would be a great time to give Anakin a partner. Despite his frustration Anakin smirked, he knew a certain shaggy-haired Jedi Master who would be leading youngling meditation this week.

"Well, hi. I'm Anakin Skywalker," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. She laughed, a sound that popped like bubbles and made Anakin smile unconsciously again. Why was she having this affect on him? He immediately twisted his face back in to the solumn, 'I've-never-smiled' expression expected of Jedi Masters.

"You're kinda famous, I already knew that."

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly and chuckled. "Right."

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Master Skywalker," she said slowly, giving a small bow and quickly exiting the room.

"What was that about?" Quinlan asked, raising his dark eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked, walking over to him and Obi-Wan.

"Well, for one, you're grinning like an idiot," Quinlan said. Anakin immediately realized that he indeed was and focused hard on frowning. "For another, you aren't ripping my head off for assigning you someone to work with." Anakin shrugged, "Not a huge deal. Besides, no need to rip your head off when I can make you lead meditations with a bunch of squirming, impatient younglings."

"Oh Force, Anakin," Quinlan said, sighing loudly. "Well, then I don't feel that bad about saying this, seems like y'know, Rose is pretty taken with you."

"What of it?" Anakin said, keeping his tone impartial.

"I'm just saying…you know never mind," Quinlan said. "I've gotta get going, see you guys tomorrow."

"What was that about?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan as Quinlan hurriedly left the room.

"Forget it," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand. Anakin nodded absently and leaned his head against the large window, looking down at the ground.

"What's bothering you?" Obi-Wan asked, following his gaze out the window.

"I had another dream a few nights ago."

"Like the ones you had about your mother and Padme?" Anakin nodded.

"What was this one about?"

"Padme died, she was stabbed with a lightsaber," he said quietly, crossing his arms and walking away from the window. "And then all the kids were teenagers and with other people. Luke was with his uncle Owen, Leia seemed to have been adopted by Bail Organa and Wilhelm…well, Wilhelm was with you. They didn't know who I was and you basically told me to go away."

"Anakin, you know that would never happen," Obi-Wan said, putting a hand on his arm. Anakin shook it off and turned his head away from Obi-Wan, "My mother's came true."

"But Padme's did not," Obi-Wan reasoned.

"I won't let it come true."

"Anakin, you cannot let this consume you. You know that doesn't make sense," Obi-Wan said, frustration creeping into his voice.

"But Padme's death felt so real," Anakin said, sinking into a seat. "It seemed just like one about my mother, more real than the one about her dying in childbirth. I don't know." Obi-Wan sat next to him, "Meditate on it. Perhaps it will give you more answers than I can." Anakin nodded. Of course that's what Obi-Wan would say, always by the book. Meditation never helped anything and it certainly wouldn't save Padme's life.

* * *

Anakin had a meeting with the Queen, Chancellor Organa, and the other senators in the Great Four in the palace. He basically just had to tell them-mostly the chancellor-about war plans in regard to the republic. The person who cut down on the tedium of these meetings was always Padme, but of course she was at home. He would give anything to be there with her and the kids and just relax. There were so many times in the past week that he had seriously considered quitting the Order and giving his position to Obi-Wan. That option was always in the back of his mind. Of course, Padme would never allow it. Not to mention, despite the time he would spend at home, he would miss being a Jedi too much. It was no secret he loved being considered a hero. He took a deep breath. No reason to be hasty. He told himself that things will be better when the war ends, a conclusion he expected to take place in about a month. The Five World's army was no match for those of the Great Four. The meeting was soon over and he avoided any other conversations that may spark with those involved. He hated small talk, especially with these people. He decided to walk back to the Temple and take the long way through the city. It was nice to weave through the hoards of people and see all the colorful shops. As he walked, one person in particular caught his attention. Well, two people. Sitting at a table outside of a restaurant was Padme and across from her Ian. He watched as Ian put his hand over hers as she smiled at him; that beautiful smile Anakin always thought was for him. It seemed like his throat was constricting and his chest burned. He couldn't watch them anymore. He turned away and continued walking, faster this time. He no longer soaked up his surroundings. He ignored the stares he constantly receivedand pushed past those wishing to speak with him. He couldn't believe her. How could she? Ater all these years, everything he had always been suspicious about was now proven to be true. He had always been paranoid of other men around her, not for what she would do but for what they would do. And now, all of the suspicions she had told him to forget about were becoming reality.

* * *

He sulked through the rest of the day alone; rejecting an invitation from Ahsoka to duel and telling Obi-Wan he was busy when he asked for a meeting. He was too preoccupied with thinking about what he would say to Padme when he got home. He left his office to pick up Luke who was training with the other younglings and took him home in the speeder. Despite his foul mood, Luke's constant chatter about his day left Anakin smiling. He even gave Luke his Yoda impression, causing the boy to laugh hysterically. He half-hoped that Luke wouldn't repeat it to any of his classmates, but only half. The other half hoped his son would grow to be as unruly as he was as a padawan. When they reached the house Luke practically sprinted in to tell Padme and his siblings all about his day. Anakin's entrance wasn't nearly as fast or enthusiastic. He slowly climbed out of the speeder, double-checking that it was properly parked and turned off. He then locked it, looking at each individual lock to ensure that it was truly secure. He never did this and rarely ever even bothered locking it as the security around the house would guard against any simple thief. He took a deep breath and walked up the cobblestone path and into the huge house. He saw that Luke was already telling Padme and Dorme about his various adventures in his day. Padme beamed at Anakin as he came in. He merely nodded back, a gesture so cold he could actually feel her worry at his greeting. That smile was the same she had given Ian, he couldn't forget that.

"Dorme, you can go now. I hope you have a great night with Obi-Wan," Padme said mockingly as Luke finished his story.

"Thank you, milady. Goodnight kids, night Aankin," she said as she brushed past Anakin to leave.

"Hi sweetie," Padme said, putting a hand on his shoulder and kissing him.

"Hi," he said icily, pushing past her to go to the living room. He collapsed on the couch and flipped channels on the HoloNet until he finally settled on a podrace. He didn't care if she followed him but of course she did and took a seat next to him. He didn't look at her, only leaned in a little closer to the HoloNet.

"Are you alright?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her for a long time, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. If he could actually kill people by looking at them, a power that always sounded rather appealing, there was a good chance he would have actually inadvertently killed her. "Nothing," he finally said, deciding not to argue at least for the time being. "Just tired. Tell me about your day, what did you do?" The worried look on her face remained, but she still answered.

"Well, I packed up some of our things to go to Varykino. Oh and Wilhelm told me about his dreams and that you talked to him about it."

"Yeah. I know. I'll take care of that."

"I'm worried, though. Maybe we should see a doctor about it."

"He'll be fine," Anakin said dismissively. "So, what else did you do today?"

"Nothing really. It was pretty quiet," she said, shrugging. She chanced a smile at him again. That really pushed him over the edge. Now she was officially lying to him.

"No, no, tell me about lunch. What did you do for lunch?" he asked, unable to mask the anger in his voice any longer. She took her hand off of his shoulder and let it fall to her lap. She looked at it for a minute silently before replying, "I had lunch with Ian today," she said, looking back at him.

"And?" Anakin spat. She gave a tiny shrug and shook her head slightly, "And what? It was just lunch, Anakin."

"You weren't going to tell me about it," he said, springing up.

"Because I knew you'd react like this," she said sharply, standing as well.

"You lied to me, Padme."

"Anakin calm down. It was just lunch. This is why I don't tell you about these things, you always overreact and then we fight and I am so tired of that. When I'm even speaking with another man you freak out and assume the worst."

"He had his hand on yours an you didn't do anything about it, just sat there. I saw it," he yelled.

"Then apparently you weren't looking for long because I pulled my hand away," she yelled bcack.

"Padme, you constantly talk about honesty and trust. Where was that today?" He asked, ignoring her previous comment. It was true, he hadn't watched for very long.

"Anakin, I am not defending myself for having lunch with a friend. That's idiotic," she said venomously, the end of each word sharp.

"That's what I'm afraid of. You don't even want to work for this relationship anymore," he said, his voice quiet.

"Anakin, how are you getting that out of this fight. You know that's not true, I simply don't see a point in discussing my lunch with an old friend," she said, moving toward him and touching his arm.

"I don't want to hear it," he said, his voice low. He took a step back from her, pushing her hand away from him. "I can't deal with this right now. I'm going back to the Temple."

"When will you be back?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"Late tonight."

"But you're leaving tomorrow for the war," she said, her voice filled with remorse. "Anakin, I'm sorry. If I had known that you would get so upset about this I would have told you. Please stay and talk about this with me."

"You didn't know I'd get this upset? According to you that's all I do," he said sardonically.

"But Anakin-"

"If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll see you in a week. Say goodbye to the kids for me," he interrupted. He looked coldly down at her again, his expression softening a little when he saw he tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite this quiet moment of guilt, he walked away from her and left the house without another word.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: As always, all characters belong to George except those I made up.

* * *

Padme smiled absently as she watched Luke and Leia play with Korto Vos in the spacious living room. He was one of Luke's best friends and constant companion, their bond only growing stronger as both trained with Master Yoda. Her smiled faded as she fingered the japor snippet that hung around her neck. Though it was usually a pleasant reminder of her husband, today it was not. He hadn't come home again the night of the fight, not even to say goodbye. In five years of marriage and countless missions, Anakin had always gone out of his way to say goodbye. She had messed up, that was certainly true, but Anakin was not without fault. He didn't need to be constantly paranoid of other men around her. She chose him, married him, and had three children with him. There was never anyone else but Anakin. Everyone knew that, why didn't he?

She sighed and picked up a datapad. There was no use in trying to justify Anakin's actions without him there to discuss them. Instead, she decided to focus on the newly appointed minister Frank Gother. She had a bad feeling about the man and the research she had done only backed it up. There was so little on him, no background information or records. It seemed that he just appeared in the Five Worlds about two years ago. It was all so odd. There was something familiar about him, every time she saw him it seemed they had known each other before.

"Oh excuse me, Miss Padme," C-3PO said as he shuffled into the room.

"Yes, what is it, Threepio?" she glanced up from her datapad, her expression rather cold. She hated being interrupted.

"Miss Ahsoka Tano is here to see you. Shall I let her in?"

"Yes, yes of course," she said, standing to hug Ahsoka. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Padme. Anakin told me this morning that he forgot to tell you I'll be your bodyguard for three days."

"Yeah, Anakin didn't mention a thing," Padme mumbled, gesturing for Ahsoka to sit at the table across from her.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Some water would be fine, thank you," Ahsoka said as she sat. She watched Padme carefully as she told C-3PO the drinks. Her eyes were red and puffy and her makeup wasn't done. Ahsoka couldn't remember ever seeing Padme without makeup and hair that was absolutely pristine. Her skin seemed a little less luminescent and the usual smile that played on her lips was gone. She just looked exhausted; far from the beauty queen Ahsoka thought of her as.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ahsoka asked. Padme immediately forced a smile, a gesture Ahsoka didn't believe for a second and said, "I'm fine. Just a little tired. Moving the kids this morning was sort of strenuous."

"It's just that, if you don't mind me saying, you don't look very good and Anakin looked pretty much the same this morning." Padme's shoulders fell and she sighed. She accepted her drink from C-3PO and took a small sip. She looked down at her cup for a moment before cracking another smile. This time it was smaller, sadder.

"Anakin and I had a fight and he didn't come back last night. No huge deal," she said, her tone a little too casual for Ahsoka to believe it.

"He didn't come back at all? Not to say goodbye or anything?" Padme pursed her lips and shook her head.

"That's stupid. What was your fight about?"

"Anakin found out I had lunch with an old boyfriend and he was really angry I didn't tell him. I know I should have but it really wasn't anything for him to worry about and I knew he'd only get angry. He's always so jealous. I'm just worried because though we've fought, he's never actually left or stayed angry, especially if he was going on a mission."

"He'll come around," Ahsoka said reassuringly. "He's just under a lot of stress. I'm sure he feels awful about it."

"I know. I just feel bad. Anyway," she said, her voice more enthusiastic. "What's new with you? Anakin said you might get a padawan of your own."

"Yeah, I'm really excited. Ever since having Anakin as a master I've dreamed of one day bossing someone around the way he did me," Ahsoka laughed. Her expression suddenly grew serious, apprehensive almost. Padme noticed that she was fidgeting slightly.

"Padme, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. You can ask me anything."

"Well, how did…how did you know that Anakin was the person you were supposed to be with?" Padme quirked an eyebrow. Anakin hadn't mentioned that Ahsoka had a boyfriend, which would no doubt be an event high on his list to complain about. Did he know?

"Do you have a boyfriend, Ahsoka?" Ahsoka's orange skin turned beet red, making the marks on her face seem even whiter in contrast. She had never seen the girl embarrassed.

"Well…kinda. We both, you know, like each other in that way but haven't actually started dating. I don't know if I really want a boyfriend. I can't afford to be distracted right now."

"That's exactly how I felt, even after I had feeling for Anakin. I tried to fight falling in love with him but it just didn't work. If you have feelings that deep, you shouldn't ignore them. It just wont make you happy."

"What made you decide to follow your feelings?"

"Well, I was finally able to admit I had them when I thought we were about to die. But once I did, I realized that I couldn't live without him. He made me so happy. I mean, with him I wasn't Senator Amidala, I was just Padme. Unlike the other men who expressed interest in me, he didn't care about my power or influence. He only wanted me. I could be myself around him. For those and so many other reasons are why I fell for him. Did that answer your question?" Padme asked. Her expression had completely changed. Her eyes were sparkling and her face had lit up. She always loved talking about Anakin. Just the thought of him was enough to comfort her the way he could personally.

"So, tell me about this boy. Is he a Jedi? What's his name?"

"His name is Axel and yeah, he's a Jedi," Ahsoka said, turning her attention towards the laughing children. "Hey, where's Wilhelm?" The sudden and poorly disguised change of subject did not slip by Padme, but she didn't push it. Though she and Ahsoka were friends, they were also both extremely private people. Padme remembered all too well playing her feelings about Anakin close to the chest, even around her family.

"Will's taking a nap," Padme replied, glancing at a chrono hanging on the wall. "He should be waking up soon."

"Mommy, mommy," Leia cried, launching herself into Padme's lap.

"What is it sweetheart?" Padme asked, pulling Leia into a tight hug.

"Have you seen Bunbun?"

"Oh that reminds me," Ahsoka said, reaching into the pocket of her robe and pulling out the pink toy. "Anakin-I mean-your dad found this in his pocket yesterday. He said he didn't see you so he asked me to give it to you." Leia snatched the toy from Ahsoka and hugged it to her chest.

"Princess," Padme said, kissing Leia on the cheek. "Don't you have something to say to aunt Ahsoka?"

"Thank you," Leia sang, giving Ahsoka a smile identical to Anakin's.

"Go back and play, girlie," Padme said, starting to lift Leia off of her lap.

"No, mommy will you came play with me? Luke and Korto are being mean."

"I would love to," Padme said, standing and balancing Leia on her hip. "Would you like to ask aunt Ahsoka to join?" She said, winking at Ahsoka and setting her down.

"Aunt Ahsoka," Leia asked shyly, walking to about an arms length away from Ahsoka. "Will you play with mommy and me?"

"Of course I would," Ahsoka said, beaming at Leia. Looking at the Skywalker's always changed Ahsoka's opinions a little when she was second-guessing her relationship with Axel. Seeing this family was enough to let her know that deep down, in a few years, this is what she wanted.

* * *

"So, who is she?" Rose asked. Anakin glanced up from his datapad briefly to squint at her. It was an odd question considering he hadn't even mentioned that he was married.

"How did…"

"I can just tell. You've barely said two words to anyone, even those who you're good friends with, which shows that something has put you in a very bad mood. You've had about six cups of caf just on the ship alone, and you keep rubbing your back like it hurts. All signs point to you're tired and sore because you didn't sleep in the bed you usually do, meaning you aren't on good terms with the person you share a bed with." Anakin put down the datapad and rubbed his eyes. No, he hadn't gotten a particularly good night sleep. Not to mention, the small shuttle he and Rose were stuck on until they reached the command ship wasn't particularly comfortable. Rose had been trying to talk to him the whole time while Anakin had only been as responsive as possible to remain polite. They had agreed that since he was such a good pilot, she would be the gunner.

"Anakin?" Rose asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Oh, sorry. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because I didn't sleep well," he said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Talk, Mr. Skywalker. We've got two more hourse here. We might as well fill the silence."

"I guess you're right," Anakin sighed. "My wife and I had a little fight last night and I decided to go back to the Temple and sleep in my Jedi chambers."

"It's bothering you this much?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if it was just a little fight, why do you look so awful and obviously feel this bad?"

"She's my wife. I love her, and last night I kinda overreacted. When I get back I'll apologize and that'll be that. If you want to talk so badly, change the subject please," he said irritably. He spun around in his chair to focus on the controls.

"What's her name?" Rose asked. He sighed loudly. It sounded like air escaping a balloon, but he didn't ignore her question.

"Padme."

"Wait, like Padme Amidala Skywalker? The senator?" Rose asked incredulously. He simply nodded.

"Wow. I mean, I guess I should have made the connection with the Skywalker thing."

"Yeah, I thought our marriage was really well known," he said. It _was_ suspicious she didn't know who Padme was. Their relationship was talked about enough in the HoloNet, even in reputable programs, it was impossible that she didn't know he who he was married to. Not to mention, when they met she said that he was famous. If she knew of him before, that would go hand in hand with knowing about the woman he was with. But what would be the point of lying? Maybe she was just being conversational.

"I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing," she said. He squinted at her hard for a minute. Either she was completely genuine or completely fake, he couldn't tell for sure.

"Do you have kids?" she asked with interest.

"Yes, two boys and a girl," he said, taking out small holos of his kids and Padme.

"Aw, they're adorable," rose said, flipping through the images. "How old are they?"

"Luke and Leia, those two," he said, pointing to them in the holos, "are three and the little one, Wilhelm, is two."

"So, where do they stay when you're away like this?" she asked. It sounded like an innocent enough question, but there was something about her he didn't like. Something secret.

"Just at one of our houses. She owns a few," he said. It was a vague enough answer to get away with. "What about you? Do you have a family?"

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "Never really met the right person for me. I like men who are strong and brave. A Jedi, for example. She moved a little closer to him.

"Huh," Anakin mumbled, turning to face the controls again.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Ahsoka asked. It was the middle of the night and Padme was sitting at the living room table surrounded by dozens of datapads.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Padme said, not looking up from the datapad in her hand.

"It's alright. It's my job to be alert," Ahsoka said, sitting next to Padme. "What are you working on?"

"It's silly, really," Padme said, finally putting the datapad down and twirling her hair around her index finger. "But it's just this Frank Gother guy. Something about him…it feels like I know him. How he talks, his tactics, they all seem so familiar. Like an old friend. He seems to know so much about Anakin and I. I have a theory but it's…it's crazy. Nothing to go off of except a feeling."

"Jedi make decisions based on feelings all the time. It's one of the first things Anakin taught me, to trust my feelings," Ahsoka said. Padme shook her head, "No, I still need more information. Could you help me get access to the Jedi archives?"

"Yes, of course, but what would the archives do?"

"I need to read up on the Sith…special powers and who had them."

"Anything about the Sith is in the restricted area. I'd have to get permission from Anakin. I could try to contact him tomorrow, I'm sure he wont have any problem with it, I mean, you're his wife and all."

* * *

"Okay, here are some more," Ahsoka said, adding more datapads to the pile stacked in front of Padme. They had been sitting in the Jedi archives for hours. Padme hardly said a thing, she wouldn't even tell Ahsoka exactly what she was looking for. All she knew was that Padme was looking up things about Sith powers and more recent Sith lords, with a special interest in Darth Plagueis.

"So, who was Darth Plagueis?" Ahsoka asked, leaning her head on her hand. It was incredibly dull, especially since all Ahsoka could really do was watch Padme look over the datapads.

"Darth Plagueis was the master of Darth Sidious," Padme said, rubbing her eyebrow absently.

"And you're researching him because…" Ahsoka asked, her hands making a rolling motion. Padme sighed, she had been doing that a lot in the past few hours. "When Palpatine was still in power and trying to turn Anakin to the darkside, his most compelling point was that his master had found a way to stop people from dying. All of this information seems to back that story up. I wonder if Sidious found this power too, or perhaps a variation of it."

"Are you saying that you think Gother is Sidious?" Ahsoka asked. She tried to keep her voice impassive but couldn't help sounding skeptical. The ability to be reincarnated or prevent death was an old Sith legend, little more. But still, Padme's research was compelling, not to mention the other points she made. He did know a lot about Anakin and had appeared out of what seemed like midair around the same time Palpatine died.

"I know I sound crazy but now that I think about it, he has a lot of the same mannerisms as Palpatine er, Sidious, rather. The way he says things in his speeches. You have to understand, I've known this man sice I was fourteen. Here," she said, handing Ahsoka a datapad she had set aside. "this is an old Sith tale about achieving the power of having one's soul enter another body at the time of death. It's very, very close to the powers Plagueis was rumored to have. My theory is that he achieved this power and when Anakin killed him his soul simply attached to some unknown man in a struggling planet, leaving room for the manipulative politics he thrived at. I think he's controlling Lither, though I don't know why he didn't just eliminate him altogether and take his job. Maybe to stay relatively low profile, I don't know."

"You make a…compelling argument. I'll discuss this with Master Yoda, he knows more about the darkside of the Force than I." Padme bit the corner of her mouth, deep in thought.

"All I know is that if I'm right, he likely knows exactly what Anakin is doing and will try to kill him. The tricky part is, how do you kill someone whose soul can live on?"


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George Lucas blah blah blah.

* * *

"Hm, an interesting discovery this is, Senator," Yoda said, the green orbs of his eyes flicking over the information on the datapad. The orbs slid up to focus on Padme and the wrinkled creature made a tiny croaking noise in the back of his throat. "Grave danger, I fear, Master Skywalker is in."

"So you believe me," Padme said. Despite the repercussions this could cause if the information indeed was true, she was relieved she wasn't just paranoid.

"Sense this, I should have. A great power it is for a soul to transfer bodies, but heard of it, this power I have."

"So what can we do?" Ahsoka asked. Yoda's pointy ears drooped to the ground and it seemed the rest of his wrinkled face drooped as well. He shook his ancient head and said, "Know how to stop him, I do not."

"Then we have to warn them. Now," Padme said forcefully.

"The only place with their coordinates is the war room," Ahsoka said calmly.

"Then let's go," Padme said, turning and nearly running out of the room. Though she was significantly taller than Padme, Ahsoka found herself out of breath trying to match her quick strides. Suddenly everything shook and a deafening crack sounded through the building. Without skipping a beat, Ahsoka grabbed Padme and pulled her to the ground before she could fall to it. There was another explosion and the building rattled again. Jedi ran through the hallway with such urgency most of them didn't notice the two women plastered to the floor.

"Hey," Ahsoka said, struggling to rise to her feet and trying to get the attention of a young padawan running past them. A tall Jedi with hair the color of fire bumped into Ahsoka, nearly knocking her back to the floor.

"Ahsoka," he said, grabbing her shoulders to try and steady her.

"Axel." Though she had to yell over the noise, she sounded relieved. For a moment, she got light-headed just by being so close to him. Just by feeling his hands on her shoulders. He was human, quite a nice looking human if Ahsoka had anything to say about it, with bright orange hair that nearly matched her skin and emerald green eyes that sparkled with mischief. Even when he wasn't smiling he seemed like he was laughing. She loved that. They stood close like that for a minute until he realized where his hands were lingering and pulled them away to run the back of his neck. He smiled sheepishly at her and Ahsoka fought to keep from rolling her eyes in exasperation. He was so incredibly shy and awkward around her sometimes. She had feelings for him, he knew that. There was no reason for him to be embarrassed about returning those feelings.

"Axel," she said again, regaining her grip on reality. "What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure, but it looks like the Temple is being attacked by the Five Worlds."

"Then we need to gather all the masters that are here and form an organized defense. Let's get down there and start giving orders. Padme, I know I'm going against my mandate to protect you but I must get down there and fight. Get to the war room and contact Anakin's fleet. Tell him what's going on. Lock yourself in there and stay until I come. Okay?"

* * *

Anakin stood on the bridge to watch the colossal battle ensue infront of him. Occasionally he would bark orders to the clones standing by, but other than that, today he was simply watching. So far the attack was going quite well. He and Rose had even been able to test their team working skills. His expert piloting mixed with her precise shots proved to form a near unstoppable duo that was impressive to even the stoic Obi-Wan.

Watching the battle in front of him, however, was turning out to be about as useless as trying to teach master Yoda correct speech patterns. All he could see was gray circles and triangles shooting red lines at each other. Occasionally one shape would shoot at another and a large orange, yellow, and red cloud would erupt in its wake. He wasn't even sure which shapes he should be rooting for, but his advisors reading data off of complicated machines told him that the battle was going very well.

"Anakin," a heavily accented and serious voice said behind him, pulling him away from the diluted battle scene. He smiled when he saw the voices origin, "Obi-Wan." His friend didn't return the smile. In fact, he looked more serious than Anakin had ever seen. He almost looked…sad. Anakin only ever thought of Obi-Wan as having three emotions: happy, serious, and indifferent-if those could even be considered emotions. He had never actually seen him sad. Upset, yes, quite often, but never sad or anything more than annoyed.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked after Obi-Wan offered no response to his greeting. He didn't look at Anakin, only focused his attention on the battle scene with his hand covering his mouth. He finally turned away from the action to face Anakin. Instead of looking at his face, though, he looked down at his boots.

"We just got a message from…from the Temple," he said to his shoes. "And um…well, I guess the question is, do you want the bad news or the awful news first?" He finally looked Anakin in his face, sad light-blue eyes meeting piercing bright ones of the same color.

"I guess the bad news first."

"Naboo is being attacked, the Temple has been a real point of interest. They knew that we were going to attack them and that because of this, some of our best troops weren't going to be there to fight." He paused and rubbed his eyes while Anakin gaped at him, unable to speak. When Anakin finally found his voice he asked, "If that's the bad news, what's the awful news?" Obi-Wan took a deep breath and looked away. Why did he have to be the one to tell him this? The woman was his whole world, his life.

"It's Padme," he managed to croak out. He chanced a glance at Anakin's face and found that it was completely drained of color, which didn't make it easy for him to continue talking. "Ahsoka was the one who informed us of this. Apparently she and Padme were in the Temple speaking with Yoda when they attacked. Ahsoka told Padme to go to the war room and hide until she got back so Ahsoka could help fight. When…when she got back Padme wasn't there and now she can't find her."

"What?" Anakin practically yelled, causing the others in the room to look around for the source of the commotion. "Why would Ahsoka leave her alone? First of all, she knows Padme well enough to be aware that she wont run and hide if her life depended on it-which in this case it does. Second, that creep is trying to assassinate her and what if he just got his chance?" Anakin's voice broke and he looked down, closing his eyes for a moment to regain control. "Assemble a small army. A quarter of the troops we have here. Make sure they're the best ones. Use the 501st legion and others. Leave the 212th attack battalion here. Use your judgment for where other troops should go," he said quietly, staring back at the battle for a moment before beginning to walk quickly out of the room with square shoulders and clenched fists.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Padme," he said without turning around or stopping.

* * *

Sorry this chapter is so short, I just wanted to gear up for the next one which will be more intense. Tell me what you think, I always appreciate feedback.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Same as always, all characters belong to George Lucas.

* * *

Someone was behind her. She could feel it. She didn't know how, she just knew that someone was standing right behind her and that someone was not a friendly one. Before she had a chance to think more about it, she spun around just in time to raise her arm to block a gloved hand that would have hit her in the back of the neck. The man snarled at Padme and he swung his other hand at her face. She ducked quickly and kneed him in the crotch, making him howl in pain. Seizing this brief moment of distraction, she grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face down onto her knee, shattering his nose with a sickening crunch. It was a move Anakin had taught her when he decided that she needed a refresher course on self-defense since the last time she was formally taught was when she was appointed queen. Red blood spilled between his fingers as the man clutched at his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. Without waiting another second to watch the man writhe in pain and no doubt recover even more violent than he was before, she turned and tore down the hallway in the direction of the closed door she knew was the war room. It didn't open.

"Blast," she muttered. It was locked. She needed a code. She quickly punched in a few numbers she knew Anakin used all the time, but to no avail. He must not have programmed these doors. In any case, she had run out of time. She glanced behind her to see that the man was no longer clutching at his broken nose and was now running at her with a much more determined look on his face than before. She noticed that a blaster was bouncing on his belt. Why didn't he use it? She decided not to dwell on this small moment of luck and reached into her boot to extract her small silver blaster and fired. She didn't stick around to see where or even if it hit him, she just ran down the hallway to the right of her. She had no idea where it led, cursing herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings when Anakin was showing her around. She tried to make as many random turns as possible so her attacker-if he wasn't dead-would have a hard time following her. Deciding that she was far enough away now, she slowed down to get her bearings. It looked like the same hallway she and Ahsoka had walked down after leaving Luke with the other younglings that morning. Luke! He was still in the building, how could she have forgotten? Who was watching the younglings? She had to find him and make sure that he was all right. Anakin said that the children were targets too. Someone had obviously been specifically sent to find her; she hoped Lither didn't know that Luke had started training at the Temple. She glanced around again, trying to make a mental map of the route they took to the room with the younglings. She convinced herself that it was only a few hallways away, so she set off in that direction. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally recognized the hallway she was in and opened the door to the room she had left Luke in that morning. It slid open and she stepped in slowly. Though she was relatively certain this was indeed the room the younglings were in, none seemed to be in the room now. Perhaps they went to a safer place to hide. She started to turn around and leave when she heard the familiar squeak of "Mommy!" She spun around to see Luke peeking out from behind a large chair.

"Luke," she breathed, kneeling down so she could hug him. "Where are the others?" Before he could answer, she felt someone behind her again. She sprang up and spun, thrusting her elbow into the face of the person behind her, who staggered backward in pain.

"Luke, run," she yelled frantically, jumping back to narrowly miss a blow to the jaw. He hesitated, gazing at the man who was attacking his mother. He wanted to help, just like he knew his father would, but didn't know how.

"Luke, go now!" she yelled again, fumbling to pull her blaster out of the holster on her belt. He could hear the urgency in her voice and knew it meant to obey. He looked at his mother one last time and turned to sprint down the hallway.

* * *

Anakin landed his Jedi Starfighter clumsily, no doubt causing serious damage to the small aircraft. He didn't care; he needed to get to Padme. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He hadn't felt this way since, well, never. Her connection to him was weak, as if he was trying to see her through a fog. He stopped thinking about it. She couldn't be…no. She wasn't. She was alive. She had to be. The Clone Shuttle landed a few feet ahead of him and hundreds of clones swarmed out.

"Anakin, it looks like the only way we can get in is by cutting through the fighting," Obi-Wan yelled as he ran next to Anakin. "Are you sure she's inside?"

"Yes, I'm positive. Find Ahsoka, I want to know why they were here and not at Varykino in the first place," Anakin replied, running even faster. He easily sliced through all of the enemy troops, hardly thinking about what he was doing in his desperate need to find Padme. He was quickly deep inside the Temple and mildly impressed to see that no troops had gotten farther than the entrances. The Jedi were doing a good job even though many of the strongest members were gone. Under better circumstances, he would have been quite proud. For once, though, there was no time for arrogance or pride. He had to find her. She was here, somewhere. But where? He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing the Force to flow through him freely. He needed to relax so he could sense where she was, and in order to relax he needed to clear his mind. He usually did this by thinking of something happy, but happy thoughts were a rare commodity at the moment.

_ They were walking together through a meadow in Varykino. Her small, soft hand was clasped in his, her thumb gently rubbing the back of his hand. She leaned down to pluck a pink flower from amongst the green grass and looked up, flashing her heart-warming smile at him. She teasingly placed the flower behind his ear. He laughed and pulled the flower out of his hair and placed it in hers, admiring the effect it had for a moment before he leaned down and claimed her lips with his._

He knew where she was. Knew the exact floor, the exact room. He started running faster than he had ever run before, taking every shortcut he was aware of. He thanked the Force that the builders had put in a lot of what he had once considered screwy but efficient ways to get from room to room. He was far away from a lift, too far to waste time running there. Despite his inward conflict, he smiled. He remembered one of the shortcuts. Suddenly, he punched the wall panel next to him hard, which slid open to reveal a metal ladder. He scrambled up it, popping open a small ceiling tile and pulling himself up. There it was, nearly directly in front of him. There she was, she had to be. He sprinted to the door and slid it open with the Force, hoping and praying he wouldn't see what he had already sensed. He saw what he had refused to believe. He saw what had hit him when he landed his starfighter. But when he saw her, he couldn't ignore it anymore. He was bitterly reminded of an old favorite phrase of Obi-Wan: The Force works in mysterious ways. She was lying on the ground, unmoving. Before he knew his brain had told them to do so, his legs were moving, nearly sprinting towards Padme. He fell to his knees beside her, cradling her head.

"Padme," he said. She looked up at him, her eyes opening narrowly. "You're hurt."

"I don't care," she whispered, smiling brightly at him. She tried to sit up but collapsed back, her face scrunched in pain.

"Shh, don't move," he whispered. "You're going to be fine."

"No, you know I'm not. It's over," she said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. He put his hand over hers, pulling it to his lips to kiss.

"You're going to be fine," he repeated, ignoring her words. "We just…we just need to get help. It's going to be f-fine." He pulled out his comlink and started to call Obi-Wan, but she weakly put her hand over it.

"Anakin, listen," she said, her hand sinking down to his shoulder. "You need to be strong for them."

"Padme don't talk like this," he said, swallowing hard at her words.

"Just promise me," she said, trying to blink back tears. He looked down at her, at the woman he loved more than anything slowly dying. It was strange to see her lying there broken. She had always been so strong and invincible, how could she be brought down like this?

"I love you," she said, her voice strained.

"I love you too," he sobbed, unable to stop the tears from coming any longer. He brought her head to his and kissed her, holding her to him, wishing this could never end. He felt her hand slip from his shoulder and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted slightly. If he hadn't felt her Force signature leave her body, he would have thought that she was sleeping. Oh that she was, that she could wake up, that her brown eyes could open once more and her lips could curl into a smile. It hit him then that those eyes that had lit up his life for fifteen years would never fall on him again. He would have given anything just to spend one more day with her, just to see those beautiful brown eyes. Why hadn't he cherished every single moment they were open? He had yelled at her. The last conversation they had was angry. If only he knew then that it would be the last time he ever spoke to her, he wouldn't have wasted it on his insecurities about Ian. Tears ran hot and fat down his cheeks as he gently held her closer to him. He breathed her scent in deeply, hoping that he would never forget it.

"No," he choked. It couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. The woman he had given his life to couldn't be gone. No, it was just a dream. He would wake up to see her curled up next to him. Then she would wake up too. Any minute now he'd wake up just like with all the other dreams. But he didn't wake up. She didn't open her eyes or smile or call him Ani. She just lay there. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up to see Obi-Wan.

"Anakin, let's get out of here. I'm…I'm so sorry," he said quietly. He could hear the sadness in Obi-Wan's voice that he was holding back for Anakin's sake. Padme had been a great friend to Obi-Wan. A sister, almost. But he knew his pain was not even a fraction of what Anakin's was. He lived for her, breathed for her. He risked everything-being a Jedi, his life-just for her. He had never seen anyone so devoted to one person as Anakin was Padme, except in her devotion to him. Anakin leaned back on his heels and looked blankly at the wall, still clutching Padme's hand.

"The…the last time we talked I yelled at her. I…I left and didn't say goodbye or that I loved her or anything else she deserved he hear every single day," he said quietly.

"One fight does not erase nearly six years of marriage you two happily shared."

"Daddy?" a small voice asked. Luke was standing in the doorway, pressed up against the wall. He was shaking, unsure of what his parents were doing. He could sense it was something bad. Anakin wiped the tears off his face and looked away. How could he explain to three small children what just happened? They knew what death was but had never been this close to it. Would they understand? Be devastated? Confused? He wasn't ready for this.

"Luke, let's go outside," Obi-Wan said quietly, gently leading Luke out of the room.

* * *

Author's Note/Edit: Hey y'all! So I just wanted to say that this is the most depressing part of the story, it definitely does get better and there is a happy ending that you'll see in the next two or three chapters. I hope all of you keep reading. I just felt that it was necessary for her to die for some drama. Plus he can't always be saving her. Thanks so much for reading! 


	27. Chapter 27

Anakin never wanted to let go of her hand, never wanted to leave her side again, never wanted her out of his life. But he thought with a pang of her last wish, to be strong for them. He had to go talk to Luke, who was probably scared to death. He kissed her hand one last time, trying to memorize how it felt in his and finally let go, placing it gently across her stomach.

"Anakin," Ahsoka said tearfully when he walked into the hallway. He vaguely registered that there were tear tracks on her face and fresh ones forming in her large eyes. "I am so sorry. I should have been there for her. It's all my fault." He closed his eyes and put his hand up for her to stop. He couldn't process it right now. Couldn't think about fault or why or who did it.

"It wasn't your fault," he said quietly, seeing that the devastated look on her face demanded some sort of response. "You had to help with the battle." He took a deep breath and shut his eyes again. It was all he could do to keep from breaking down, something he vowed to never do in front of his former padawan. "Where is Luke?"

"Obi-Wan took him downstairs. You…you probably don't care but the Five World troops started retreating so we're heading them off by air. Obi-Wan ordered the chase."

"Good," he said, though his tone didn't sound like he thought it was good at all. "Will you do me a favor and tell the queen about...this. Call for a medic to come up. I can't…I can't be in that room anymore. I can't deal with this right now."

"Obi-Wan already sent for someone. Oh Anakin, I'm so sorry," she said, doing her best to keep the tears from falling down her face. She patted him on the arm gently, not sure how else to console him. He didn't even hear her; he was too immersed in his thoughts about his children. What would he tell them? What could he possibly say?

He looked around blankly; realizing that he was no longer in the hallway talking to Ahsoka and his legs had led him downstairs to the main level of the Temple without even noticing it. He saw that Obi-Wan was on his knees speaking to Luke. He stopped and looked over to Anakin when he saw him. He knew he had to go over and talk to his son, but still had not formed a concrete plan as to what to say. He could hardly grasp the concept of death-let alone Padme's death. How could he explain it to a child? Explain everything he would miss out on without having a mother in his life, convey all the overwhelming emotions he was feeling and that Luke would no doubt feel as well. He didn't have much longer to think about it as the minute Luke saw him he ran over and hugged his father's legs.

"Hey bud," he said quietly, putting a hand on the back of Luke's head. He knelt down so he and his son were eyelevel and squinted at him for a minute before talking.

"Did Uncle Obi-Wan tell you what…what happened to mommy?" Anakin asked shakily. Luke shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

"She," Anakin's voice broke. He tried to suck it up. He couldn't break down in front of his three-year-old son. He stroked the hair out of Luke's face gently. He knew he was scaring the boy, leaving him in suspense like this, so he tried again, "Luke, mommy got very hurt. She got so hurt that no one could help her get better, so she…died." He had to stop for a minute to regain his composure. "Do you understand?" Luke didn't say anything, just looked at Anakin. He had never seen his father like this; he didn't quite know what to do. Suddenly, Luke's whole face seemed to crumple up and he started crying. Anakin's head was giving a dull ache from trying to hold in his tears, but he wouldn't let himself cry. "Come here," he said, pulling Luke into a hug. He sobbed into Anakin's shoulder and Anakin patted him on the back, not really sure how to respond.

He was great when they were crying because they fell or their sibling was bothering them, but not with emotional anguish like this. "She's one with the Force now, Luke. I know it's very sad and I'm really sad too, but someday were going to…to celebrate that she's joined the Force. Now she can always be with us the way the Force is and someday, years and years from now, you'll see her again," he whispered. This was probably all gibberish to a three-year-old who barely understood the Force as it was, let alone when told the topic of dead people becoming 'one with it.' Technically, Padme wasn't even one with the Force as she wasn't a Jedi, but that was the closest thing to the afterlife Anakin knew Luke could somewhat relate to. Deep down, though she was never a Jedi and only displayed a minimal connection to the Force that may have been a result of her relationship with Anakin or the children, Anakin did feel that she had joined the Force the way countless Jedi before her. He did feel her with him; he did know that she was watching over him, wherever she was.

All that aside, he still felt like a hypocrite with all that garbage about celebrating a death like the Council would talk about. He was far from throwing a party. But still, it sounded like comforting thing to say to a child.

"Let's go home," Anakin whispered, standing up. Luke made no effort to move and stayed where he was, wiping his face. Anakin picked him up and rubbed his back as the boy sunk his head into his shoulder. Obi-Wan slowly walked up to him, fidgeting slightly as if he were afraid of him.

"I've taken care of everything with…with her. Do you need anything else? Shall I go with you? I can tell Dorme," Obi-Wan said softly.

"Yeah, actually that would be great. I don't…I mean, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I need to tell," his voice broke again. "I need to tell her family too."

* * *

He found it no easier to tell Wilhelm and Leia than it was to tell Luke. They all took it in different ways. Wilhelm seemed not to process it, probably simply because of his age, but he was troubled by his sibling's and father's obvious distress. Leia just didn't say anything. She ran to her room the second he told them and it took twenty minutes for Anakin to get her to come out. When she finally did she seemed fine. There was no sign of tears or anger or fear. Dorme, who had nieces and nephews who lost a parent, said this all was normal. It was hard for children to understand death and they all dealt with it in different ways.

"Since Luke was there when it happened, he probably feels guilty," she told Anakin quietly after the kids had gone to sleep. "Wilhelm's still a little too young to understand, you know? He has no concept of it. He doesn't understand how permanent it is. And Leia…well, it's tricky to tell with her. She's young too but she's obviously pretty angry." Anakin nodded absently and looked at his hands. He wasn't ready to take care of three kids by himself, let alone three kids going through this kind of emotional anguish while he himself was experiencing the same thing.

"Have you told her parents yet?" Obi-Wan asked. He nodded, "I uh wanted to tell them before the holoreporters got to them," he mumbled.

"How did they take it?" he asked. Anakin rolled his eyes, "How do you think they took it? She was their daughter. They were devastated," he spat. He sighed, realizing his tone. "I'm sorry. You're only trying to help and I'm being an asshole. I just…" he suddenly found it very hard to speak and hold it together at the same time, so he stopped talking and looked away.

"I know. It's okay," Obi-Wan said sympathetically. "Maybe you should just get some sleep." Anakin nodded, "I guess you're right. Dorme, you can leave. I'm sure you want to get home."

"Anakin, would you like me to stay? I can help with the kids tomorrow. You might want some time to yourself."

"That would…that would be great, Obi-Wan. Thank you," he said, looking down. Anakin bid them goodnight and slowly walked to his room. He stopped just before the door slid open. Obi-Wan and Dorme had been good distractions, but now he had to face it. He had to look at everything she had, be reminded of everything about her he'd never see again. The door slid open and he walked in. Artoo followed close behind, beeping softly.

Standing there in the room she had spent her last night and morning in hit him harder than anything else. He slid down the wall as hot tears fell down his face. Everything he had been holding back when he was with is kids and Obi-Wan and Dorme came to the surface. He tried to breath, an action that only made him hyperventilate slightly. He looked around the room. The bed was still mussed, her nightgown still lying on the floor. He thought of her last day, a day she thought was just like any other. He closed his eyes and couldn't help imagine it; imagine what she had done for the last time. On the last day of her life, Padme Amidala Skywalker woke up promptly with her alarm, which she always set five minutes ahead of when she actually needed to wake up, just incase. She brushed her teeth and stepped into the sonicshower. The water was have been hot, but not too hot. She then would have brushed out her hand and on that particular day, twisted it into a tight bun. She would have dressed in and outfit she laid out the night before to correspond with the days events. Then she would have woken the kids up and given them breakfast. On the last day of her life, she had poured herself a glass of water with two ice cubes like she always did and chatted with the kids, completely oblivious that this was the last time she would do so.

It wasn't fair. Wasn't fair that his kids would be deprived of a mother, that he would go the rest of his life without the woman who completed him, wasn't fair that someone who had devoted her whole life to serving other people wouldn't see her children grow up or even live past thirty.

He got up and walked over to the bed, looking down at the wrinkled sheets and pillow that still had a small dent in it from cushioning her head the night before. It was obvious evidence that Padme had lived, really once been alive. He didn't want to erase that. But his body didn't care about this small, rather nonsensical thought and he collapsed on the bed from his emotional and physical exhaustion.

* * *

Through closed eyes, he could hear the chirping of the birds that lived in the trees outside their bedroom window. He could practically hear the pitter of the nearby stream, could practically feel the sunlight creeping through the window on his skin. He opened his eyes to find that he was facing the wall and not Padme; he hated waking up like that. Padme. It hit him once more. He would never wake up and see her sleeping soundly beside him again. He groaned and shut his eyes again, pressing on the lids with his palms, finally opening them to stare blankly at the ceiling, his arm resting on the spot on the bed Padme usually occupied. He sighed and sat up, nearly falling out of bed when he saw that someone was sitting by his feet.

"Padme," he gasped.

"Hello Ani," she said calmly.

"But you're…you're alive," he said, tears forming again for a completely different reason than the day before. But she shook her head sadly, putting a small hand on his leg, " Ani, you know I'm not alive. I'm not real," she said gently.

"Then why are you here?" he asked moodily. She gave him a sad look he had never seen on her before. Was it pity?

"Anakin, _you_ created this. I can't answer for you why I'm here, just that you obviously need me."

"Why were you in the Temple?" he asked angrily, too tired to figure out what she meant.

"I can't answer that, Ani," she said gently.

"What good is this? Why come here if only to toy with me?" he yelled. But suddenly she disappeared, gone as quickly as she had appeared. Was he going crazy? Surely she wasn't a Force ghost, but what else could she be, a figment of his imagination? He brought his knees to his chest and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't. If this was what everyday was going to be like without her, he didn't want to ever wake up again.

Artoo beeped loudly and rolled over to the bed, bumping into it.

"What?" Anakin spat. Artoo gave a series of whistles and rolled over to the small bedside table and omitted a small blue projection. His stomach did an unpleasant turn when he realized the projection was Padme. Her lips were moving but he couldn't hear her.

"Artoo, rewind and increase volume," he barked. The droid tweeted and Padme's motions went backwards for a moment.

"Hello Anakin. If you're watching this then I'm dead or Artoo has a loose wire. I hope it's the ladder, but I'm willing to bet it's the former. I...this seems so strange, to be recording something that people only see when you're dead. Anyway, first, I want to say that no matter how much you try to convince yourself it is, this isn't your fault. You can't dwell on it. I love you no matter what. I…I don't know how the kids are going to react but they need you, Ani. They love you so much. As far as who gets what is concerned, everything goes to you obviously. Except for this," she pulled out the small japor snippet necklace Anakin gave her what felt like hundreds of years ago from the folds of her dress. "I want you to give this to Leia when she's old enough to understand what it means. Also, when she's my size, though that seems impossible right now, give her any of my dresses she wants. I doubt they'll still be in style by then but I'd hate to see them just get forgotten or thrown out." She paused, smiling faintly at something Anakin couldn't see. "You once told me that if you died to move on, that you wanted me to forget about how much I loved you, to get married to someone safe and live a peaceful life. I want all the same for you. I want you to eventually move on. Never forget me but get to a place where maybe you can forget about how much you loved me, how much it hurts that I'm gone. Don't let the kids forget about me. Tell them," she faltered for the first time, tearing up. "Tell them I love them so much. I recorded something for each of them in Artoo that I want you to show them when they're eighteen. Or when the twins are eighteen and Wilhelm's seventeen, whatever you want. I love you, Anakin. So much. You made me so happy. I'm sorry I couldn't stay for as long as you needed me, as long as the kids needed me. Be seeing you." She smiled one final time and the recording ended.

It wasn't her intent when she recorded it, but somehow he felt worse than before. He covered his face with his hands. Even she expected to die, expected him to fail. Why hadn't he seen this coming? He could hardly think straight. He didn't know what, but he had to do something. The easiest thing-well, the thing that Anakin's body started to do without his mind's consent-was to throw things. First his pillow went flying, then his comlink. It made a satisfying crack against the wall and split in half. He grabbed the bedside table but stopped right before he could throw it. No, he was being stupid, irrational. What was the point? She was gone. No small tantrums could bring her back. He ran his hands through his hair and tried to calm down. He had to see his kids soon. He couldn't be a wreck in front of them.

There was a soft knock on his door followed by, "Anakin, it's Obi-Wan. Can I come in?" Anakin stood up and glanced in the mirror. He looked awful, but there was nothing he could do about it before Obi-Wan got tired of waiting and opened the door himself, so he threw on his cloak and slid the door open with a flick of his fingers, revealing the most compassionate-looking Obi-Wan Anakin had ever seen.

"How are you doing?" he asked. Anakin looked down. On the surface, it wasn't a complicated question but really how was he doing? Was his behavior normal for someone who had just lost his wife, or extreme?

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked after he didn't respond.

"I…I guess not great," Anakin shrugged. Obi-Wan patted him on the arm.

"It will get easier. I know you might not exactly be in the mood to talk but Padme's sister is here." Anakin tried to suppress the urge to throw something else. Fortunately for his dignity, nothing was at hand.

"I know you probably don't want to talk to her but I really think you should. It might help a little, you two talking about Padme," Obi-wan said. His tone was gentle but had the hint of a command. It was clear this wasn't a suggestion. It sounded the way Padme would tell him to pick up his clothes or put the kids to bed; there was no room for refusal.

"I suppose you already said I'd talk to her so there's no point in me saying I don't want to talk?" he asked flatly.

"Anakin, she was practically crying. How could I say no? Besides, you need to talk to someone." Anakin sighed loudly. He really just wanted to be alone.

"Okay, fine. Tell her I'll be there in a minute," he said quietly. Obi-Wan nodded and Anakin slid the door closed and turned to quickly pull on the tunic he wore yesterday. He had just slept in his pants, too exhausted to change out of them.

He took yet another deep breath before walking into the living room where he could hear Obi-Wan and Sola speaking.

"Good morning, Anakin," Sola said kindly. She stood up to hug him tightly and kiss him on the cheek. The lump in his throat that had been present as Padme died was back again. He looked at Sola. She wasn't crying, but she was obviously holding it in. Tear tracks lingered on her cheeks and she wasn't wearing any makeup, making her eyes look small and tired. The somewhat sarcastic smile that constantly lingered on his sister-in-law's face was absent, replaced with her lips together in a thin line. She was neither smiling nor frowning, which Anakin was deducting through the looks everyone else had been giving him as the appropriate look to give someone who was grieving. But Sola had just lost her sister and best friend; she was feeling just as much pain as he was, surely.

"I'll leave you two alone," Obi-Wan said, standing up. "Anakin, I'm going to work out a few things at the Temple. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Thanks Obi-Wan," Anakin said, attempting a small smile. "Well uh, please, sit." He pulled out a chair for Sola and awkwardly sat in the one across from her. She inhaled audibly and smiled sadly at him. She seemed nervous.

"He seems like such a nice man. It's so great he's helping you through this."

"Wha-Oh, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, confused for a moment at what she was talking about. "Yeah. He's a good friend." He looked at his hands, which were laced together on the table. He hated this. Hated having to look at the woman who had been so close to her.

"How have you been?" he asked slowly, feeling obligated to say something.

"Well, you know," she sighed. "It's so hard. You know better than me. I mean, she's been threatened like this her whole life but it's still such a shock. How are your kids?"

"Well, I mean, not good I guess. It's just so much for them to take in and they're so young. I think they're all handling it in different ways."

"If you need anything, any help at all, just ask me. If you need help with the kids or just want to…want to talk," he voice broke and she started crying into a white handkerchief with small pink flowers on it. It was identical to one Padme had, except her flowers were red. "I'm sorry," she choked.

"No, I'm sorry. She was your sister."

"Yes, but she was your wife. I know how much you loved her and now you have three kids to take care of. It's just so…" her voice trailed off again. Anakin cleared his throat and looked out the window just so he could look at something besides the crying woman in front of him.

"How are your parents?" he asked, trying hard to keep his tone light. He knew he was coming off as cold, but he didn't really mean to. He honestly cared about Sola and her family, but there was very little he could think to say in his current state of mind.

"They're I think doing as well as can be expected. But, obviously devastated. They lost their daughter, I think we can both imagine how horrifying that can be." Anakin nodded darkly. He thought with a pang of his children. Luke was going to be a Jedi and unless Wilhelm had a sudden drastic change of heart, so would he. It was a dangerous job. Anakin himself had lost his arm and nearly his life on dozens of occasions. How could he lose them too?

"I also wanted to tell you about the funeral," she said quietly. Anakin winced-he had forgotten about that. Her face softened when she saw the overwhelmed look on his face and she gently put her hand over his. "I know you're not from Naboo, so you probably don't know what goes on. Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of this because it's only been a few hours but people are already mourning her. It's no secret that the people she served loved her but I never expected the reaction to be like this. There's footage on the HoloNet of people crying the streets, lining up to place small monuments in front of the palace and the entrance of Varykino. I see that security's done a good job of keeping them away from the actual house. Anyway, because of this there's going to be a public portion of the funeral where there will be a procession through Theed. We'll walk behind her, then there will be a small ceremony and cremation and then we'll come back here or to my parent's house, whatever you're comfortable with."

"How are you so matter-of-fact about this?" Anakin asked, his voice suddenly sharp. "I mean, I hardly want to get out of bed but here you are planning everything."

"It's just how I deal with things. It's okay that you don't want to think about stuff like this. I don't expect you to. Don't feel bad," Sola said gently.

"Well…thank you," he said quietly.

"I know this is really hard for you but could you…I mean, could you tell me more about her death? I'm so sorry but I just…I just. Never mind. I should go," she said, standing up.

"Sola, if you want me to tell you about it I will but it wont be a great description right now. It hurts too much to even think about. Maybe-maybe in a few days," he said sadly. She had started crying again and after touching his face, he found that he wasn't doing too well himself.

"I'm not ready to hear about it yet. I'll see you tomorrow?" she dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief and smiled weakly at him. He nodded and they hugged again.

As she left, Anakin heard a small noise behind him. He turned to see Luke looking up at him silently.

"Hey buddy," Anakin said, wiping his face absently.

"Hi," Luke said quietly, looking at his feet.

"Do you want something to eat?" Anakin asked, attempting to sound normal so Luke wouldn't think anything was wrong. He shook his head at his feet.

"It might make you feel better. Come on," Anakin said, stooping slightly to take Luke by the hand and led him into the kitchen. Luke climbed into a chair and looked blankly at the cereal Anakin set in front of him. Anakin sighed, "I know it's hard but you gotta eat something, kid." Luke begrudgingly picked up his spoon and took tiny bites of his food.

"I'm going to go wake your brother and sister up. You going to be okay here for a minute?" Luke nodded slowly and Anakin kissed him on the forehead. Poor kid, he had hardly said a word since yesterday. He walked into Leia's room only to find that she wasn't asleep. She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling much like Anakin had done when he woke up.

"Hey princess, time to wake up," Anakin said, faking a cheerful tone and smile.

"Okay," she said, getting up slowly.

"Go in the kitchen with Luke, I'll be there in a little while." He walked into the room next to Leia's to find that Wilhelm was fast asleep.

"Hey Will," Anakin said, putting a hand on Wilhelm's back.

"Hi daddy," he said happily, climbing out of bed quickly. He grabbed Anakin's hand and walked to the kitchen. Anakin helped him in the chair next to Leia and gave them both a bowl of cereal.

"Daddy, what happens when you die?" Wilhelm asked between bites of his food. Anakin rubbed his face. He didn't know what to tell him. He couldn't just say that she was dead so nothing happens, but there was really only one alternative-becoming one with the Force that he had told them yesterday-but, according to the Jedi, she did not qualify for that theory.

"You become one with the Force," he said, figuring telling him something that may not be completely true would be better than anything else.

"So mommy's the Force now?" Wilhelm asked.

"No she's not, idiot," Leia said angrily.

"Leia, do not talk to your brother like that," Anakin said sharply.

"You aren't the boss of me," she yelled, jumping out of her chair and running back to her room. Anakin followed behind her slowly. Leia had never acted like this. Sure, she fought with her siblings, but she was never exactly mean to them if she hadn't been provoked.

"Leia," he said quietly, walking into her room. She was playing with her doll, the pink one that as her favorite. He sat cross-legged across from her, noticing that her hand flew to her face the second he did and she sniffled loudly.

"Leia, do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Leia didn't say anything. Boy, his kids were quiet when they were upset.

"Sweetie, I know it's…it's hard without her. I'm really, really sad too but it's going to get better eventually. Sure, you may always feel a little sad about losing mommy but it might not hurt so badly. Wherever she is, I know she's watching over us."

"Who's going to play with me now?"

"Well, I will," he said, trying to smile. "I'll do everything mommy did."

"You're always gone."

"I'm going to be gone much less now. But when I am gone uncle Obi-Wan or aunt Sola or Dorme will be here." Leia hugged the doll to her chest.

"How about you go and say sorry to your brother. We're all upset and he doesn't need to be yelled at right now," Anakin said gently.

"He's not sad," Leia said defiantly.

"Sure he is. He just has a different way of showing it. He's younger than you, he doesn't understand it as well." Leia remained silent.

"So what do you say? Can you try to be nicer to your brother?" She nodded again and he picked her up and carried her to the kitchen.

"Alright kids. So tomorrow is going to be mommy's funeral. It's like when we all say goodbye to her and all of mommy's friends and family will be there too," Anakin explained.

"Why?" Wilhelm asked. Anakin swallowed hard. It was difficult to keep it together this long and have to answer complicated questions on the subject in a way that small children could understand.

"Well…some people think it's nice to say goodbye," Anakin said slowly.

"But if she's always with us, why do we need to say goodbye?" Leia asked.

"Because it's good to say goodbye to someone when they leave. It's like she's leaving this life and moving on to the next." He squinted at them. He knew he wasn't making much sense but it was really getting hard to think clearly. "Do you understand?" They just looked at him blankly for a moment. Thankfully, the doorchime rang before he had to think of something else to say.

"Master Ani, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Whie Malreaux are here," C-3PO said as he shuffled into the room.

"Send them in here," he said. Great. Now not only did he have to pretend that everything was okay in front of two Jedi who were his best friends and highly attune to the emotions of others.

"Hi Anakin," Ahsoka said sadly. She didn't really know what to say. She wasn't the best at cheering people up for normal reasons, let alone when someone's loved one just died. She stood on her toes and pulled him into a rather awkward hug, a very un-Ahsoka thing to do and something Anakin rarely accepted besides from his kids or Padme. Thankfully, gave a one armed hug back, appreciating the small gesture he knew Ahsoka wasn't accustomed to.

"Hey kids," she said, biting back tears.

"Ahsoka has something quite…startling that she needs to tell you immediately. Whie, stay and watch the kids," Obi-Wan said.

"Okay, uh, let's go outside I guess," he said, walking out onto the porch.

"The reason Padme and I were in the Temple yesterday was because we were looking up information about Darth Sidious and Plagueis," Ahsoka said quickly as they reached the porch. It sounded like she was trying to say it as quickly as possible just so she didn't have to say it again. He squinted at her, "Why would Padme be looking up things about dead Sith lords?" Ahsoka took a deep breath, her blue eyes still gleaming with tears.

"Well," she said hesitantly, her eyes meeting Obi-Wan's for a brief second before she looked back at Anakin. "She had this theory that at first I didn't believe but she found all this evidence on it and Master Yoda believed her too. Anyway, she thought that somehow Sidious' soul went from his body when he died and into Frank Gother's. Apparently, this was an old Sith trick. Padme thought that it explained why Lither knows so much about you two and well…and wanted her dead." She stopped for a moment to see what effect her words were having on him. His face was like a mask; it hadn't changed at all since she started talking. She told him the rest quickly while she looked at Anakin's eyebrows so she didn't actually have to look him in the eyes. Every so often she would glance at Obi-Wan, who she had already told. She mostly looked at him because he knew Anakin slightly better and was much better at displaying the appropriate expression for the situation. He wasn't really much help as at the moment his hand was covering his beard and she could only see his eyes. Unfortunately, Ahsoka had no beard, was currently talking, and had no idea what his mouth was doing underneath his hand so she couldn't copy his expression. When she finished speaking, Anakin's neutral expression finally changed. His mouth had curled into a deep frown and his squinted eyes seemed to have turned to an even darker blue. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it and closed it again all while his finger danced slightly in front of Ahsoka's face as if he were making a point. Then he ran his hand through his hair hard as if he was trying to pull it out. He really looked quite insane. He opened and closed his mouth once more and turned around, his shoulders slumped and his head down.

Ahsoka gave Obi-Wan a worried glance but his expression stayed the same. When he noticed Ahsoka looking at him, he raised his hand and nodded silently as if to say _don't worry about it._

"I just…I should have seen this coming," he said quietly, still not looking at them. "How blind am I that I couldn't even see this?"

"None of us did, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"But I killed him. Obviously I didn't do a good enough job. Even before that I knew him well. Plus, I'm supposed to be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy and couldn't even sense this," he said, shrugging off Obi-Wan's hand and turning to face them. For the first time since they had arrived, tears glistened in his eyes.

"It's my fault. I should have sensed it. If I had she'd still be alive," he said angrily.

"Anakin it wasn't your fault," Ahsoka said gently.

"No? Then fine, I guess I should have assigned someone better to protect her," he spat. Ahsoka stepped back as if he had hit her. Here eyes were wide and filled with tears, "Anakin, I…"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, finally jumping into the conversation. "I know you don't blame Ahsoka. I know you're angry and upset and I don't blame you. Frankly, I'm surprised at how together you've been. No one could have predicted this happening, not even you."

"I'm going to kill him," Anakin hissed, paying no attention to Obi-Wan's words.

"Well, that's going to be tricky as no one is quite sure how to go about doing that. I know we'll find a way eventually. In the meantime, let's focus on the war," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"I don't even want to be a Jedi anymore. You're in charge, Obi-Wan," Anakin interrupted.

"Let's not be hasty," Obi-Wan said, his tone gentle but ice-cold. "It's fine that you don't want to fulfill your duties as Grand Master at the moment and I would be happy to temporarily accept them, but only for a little while. I'm not going to let you quit being a Jedi or even Grand Master. I wont let you make a decision like that in your present state of mind, okay?" Anakin glared at Obi-Wan for a minute before finally nodding.

* * *

The funeral thankfully seemed to fly by. Even the monotonous ceremony and procession, which actually took hours, only seemed to last a few minutes. Anakin was in a haze the whole time, which didn't really matter until the small gathering at Jobal and Ruwee's house that he was currently at. He spoke to no one unless they spoke to him first, and even then he didn't pay attention to who was speaking, only answered their question or thanked them for their sympathies and walked away. That was all they wanted from him, really. No one wanted to see the raw emotion he was feeling inside or hear his real answers to their questions. No, they didn't want to be burdened with his problems. They just wanted to make an appearance at her funeral, look sad, comment about what a tragedy it was, feel sorry for her kids and then move on with their lives.

Anakin envied them. He wished he could stop feeling everything he felt, wished that he didn't have to watch his children go through losing a parent and wished he didn't have to be placed with the task of filling the hole their mother had left behind. He wished he were just Joe Somebody, mechanic, a friend of Padme's father or some distant relative who hardly knew her, who was only here out of familial obligation and would laugh with his kids on the way home, quickly forgetting the death.

"_So," _the voice said. _"You wish you'd never known her? Never had these kids?"_ He pushed the voice out of his thoughts. It wasn't that. If it weren't for Padme, he would never have done so many things. He very well might have been a Sith lord and certainly would not have been Grand Master. Not to mention, he would have lost six year of complete happiness with a woman who he loved unconditionally and who loved him the exact same way and he would not have his three beautiful children. No amount of pain was worth giving any of that up.

But still. He told the kids that soon it would stop hurting as bad. Was that a lie? Would everyday feel worse than the next until finally the pain becomes unbearable? He didn't know. He thought it had hurt when he mother died but this pain towered over that.

"Hi Anakin," Jobal said. Damn. He had been trying to avoid Padme's parents all day. He couldn't just ignore her when she was standing right in front of him.

"Oh, hi Jobal. I'm so sorry," he said, swallowing hard. Now she seemed to be beyond tears. Before, during the ceremony, she had been sobbing silently into a handkerchief. Now, her hands were shaking and she was stuttering slightly, but no tears lingered on her cheeks or in her eyes. He himself hadn't cried the whole day. He just couldn't bring himself to, partly because he didn't want people he hardly knew to see him like that and partly because he had already done so much of that already and was tired of it.

"How are the kids?" she asked sympathetically.

"Well they're so little they don't really know how to act, I think. I didn't want them to come to the funeral but they're here now, over there on the couch," he said, gesturing towards them.

"Yes…yes I saw them talking to that man…Kenobi, is it?" she asked absently, her eyes going slightly out of focus as she stared at nothing in particular.

"Obi-Wan, yeah," Anakin nodded. He lost his train of thought as he noticed that Jobal's eyes were the same type of brown as Padme's had been. Had been. He would never get used to using past tense when referring to her now. They had certainly tried to beat it into him today. People would come up to him and say she _was _a great woman; she _was_ so kind, _was _such a great leader. He sighed, realizing that he hadn't said something for quite some time and Jobal was still standing in front of him.

"I should go check on them," he said quickly, walking over to the couch and crouching down so he was eye-level with his children.

"How you guys doing?" he asked gently. They looked at him with glassy eyes. They really seemed more bored than anything else. There were no kids their age to play with and very little they could do besides sit and talk amongst themselves and think about their mother.

"I know this isn't fun. We can leave now, I just need to say goodbye to some people." He straightened up and searched through the small crowd of people until he found Sola. She was standing in a corner speaking with Darred. She smiled warmly when he came up to them and Darred stuck out his hand to shake. That seemed to be the official male greeting of the day, so Anakin politely shook it, earning him a slap on the shoulder. Yes, men truly know how to express their emotions, he thought.

"I was wondering if I could ask you two a favor," Anakin said, his voice lighter than usual. They, especially Sola, were going through grief too and he didn't want to add to their problems, but he had to do this and had to do it without Obi-Wan knowing, meaning he would need to find a new babysitter.

"Of course, Anakin. Anything," Sola said kindly. Her sadness today was hidden much better; he saw no trace of tears on her face and a smile was stretched on her lips. It was a little funny, he was a famous and powerful Jedi Master but when it came to this, a Nubian housewife was stronger than him.

"I have some…loose ends I need to tie up and Obi-Wan has work to do as well, so I was wondering if you could watch the kids tomorrow. I can just drop them off at your house early tomorrow."

"That would be wonderful. I've spent far too little time with my nephews and niece of late. I'm sure their cousins would love to help cheer them up." Anakin thanked her and quickly left, avoiding a certain bearded Jedi Master who had been trying to talk to him all day and would no doubt have questions about what he was planning on doing the next day.

* * *

Obi-Wan woke early the next morning to go to Anakin's house, as was becoming a habit since Padme's death. He was honestly surprised at how well Anakin had been handling it so far. Sure, he was devastated but hadn't fallen apart nearly as much as Obi-Wan had anticipated. His children had played a large part on that, he knew, but maybe Anakin was growing out of that darkness that had always been inside him.

He waved to the clone security guard who was stationed in front of the house, but instead of the security guard simply letting him through, he approached him.

"General Skywalker isn't here now, sir."

"Not here?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously. He had a bad feeling about this. "What do you mean, 'not here?'"

"He left with his children early this morning, sir. He said he likely would not be back for another day."

"Well did he say where he was going?" Obi-Wan asked angrily.

"No sir." Obi-Wan turned angrily and stormed back into his speeder. He had a small idea where Anakin may have gone, but he hoped Anakin wasn't that stupid.

He hardly waited for his speeder to come to a complete stop before jumping out when he reached the hanger connected to the Temple. His suspicions were instantly confirmed when he saw the empty space that usually housed Anakin's yellow Jedi fighter. Still, he had to be sure.

"You there," he said to a nearby clone that seemed to be in charge of what happened in the hanger. "Why is Master Skywalker's fighter not here?"

"He left it at 0800 this morning, sir."

"Did he say why?" Obi-Wan asked venomously.

"No sir. He told us that it was none of our business and ordered us not to question him anymore. As he is a high general, we could not disobey a direct order. I can check the tracking device we have on all of the ships if you would like."

"Yes. Yes, that just might be helpful," Obi-Wan said sardonically. He had no patience for the politeness and lack of commonsense of the clones right now.

"General Skywalker's fighter is currently in the Five World's capital, sir." Obi-Wan turned white. Before the clone could say anything else, he jumped into his own fighter and took off. He knew why Anakin was in the Five World's Capital and was mentally kicking himself for not paying closer attention to him. He had gone to confront Gother, well, Sidious, and because of Sidious's new near-immortality, likely about to orphan his children in the process. He hoped it wasn't too late to stop him.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George Lucas.

* * *

Gother spun around in his chair as the buzzer on his desk went off.

"_Good, Skywalker has arrived," _he thought to himself as he pushed the beeping button.

"Yes?" he asked smoothly.

"Sir, we just captured a trespasser, Anakin Skywalker."

"Send him in, please. Unharmed." Yes, the boy was right on schedule. It had been easy to convince that imbecile Lither that if Skywalker were ever captured, he would be sent right to Gother to be dealt with. All was going according to plan. The boy would come to him wild and full of revenge, the perfect makings for a Sith.

Two lieutenants entered the room with Anakin sandwiched between them, his hands bound in front of him. He was giving Gother one of the coldest looks he had ever received, an incredible feat considering Gother was hated by a whole species of people and countless others. He will truly make a great Sith.

"He was armed only with this, sir," one of the officers said, approaching him with Anakin's lightsaber outstretched.

"Thank you, sergeant," Gother said, examining Anakin's lightsaber for a moment and handing it back. "Uncuff Master Skywalker, return his weapon back to him and leave." The officer gave him a confused look, slowly taking the lightsaber.

"Sir?"

"You will do as I say, sergeant, if you value your position in this army," Gother hissed. The officer straightened up, his boots clicking together, "Yes sir. I apologize." He turned to roughly uncuff Anakin and push the lightsaber into his hand. Both officers faced Gother, clicked their heels together like robots, saluted and turned to leave.

"So, Master Skywalker, we meet again, though I admit that last time outside of your house we weren't properly introduced," Gother said, flashing Anakin a charming smile.

"Cut the act, Sidious. I know it's you," Anakin said, igniting his lightsaber.

"Ah Anakin, I knew it would only be a matter of time until you discovered the truth. You've always been quite brilliant," he said silkily, beginning to slowly walk so he and Anakin were moving in a wide circle.

"I didn't figure it out, Padme did."

"She was such a clever girl, I should have known. She would have been a great asset to me in my forthcoming empire. Too bad she's not here to grace us with her wisdom." Anakin's jaw tightened, but he didn't react to the obvious bait. His eyes burned into Gother's, who had continued speaking after Anakin's silence.

"Such a shame. A galactic tragedy, really. Even more of a tragedy when you think of her children. Lost their mother so young, only to lose their father a few days later. Poor Wilhelm, I'm afraid he'll grow up with no memories of his parents. It's far too late for Luke and Leia, I'm afraid that after your death they'll have far too many memories for them to be of much use to me. Wilhelm however, he could make a powerful Sith." Anakin's knuckles went white from gripping his lightsaber too tightly, but he still did not attack.

"That is, unless you prove yourself to be Sith potential," he said, stopping so he was about three feet from Anakin. Anakin just glared at him, but he made no motion to talk or move.

"Think of it, Anakin. You can't kill me, you know that. Save your children and rule the galaxy with me. With my help, Padme can come back as I did. Join me." Anakin looked away from him for a minute, deep in thought. He turned to look out the window, his lightsaber returning to his belt. Suddenly Anakin spun around, his blue lightsaber ignited; his opponent didn't skip a beat, pulling his own lightsaber from his sleeve to meet Anakin's.

"Why bother fighting, Anakin? You know I can't be killed." Anakin gritted his teeth and swung his lightsaber again towards Sidious' waist, a move he easily parried and quickly swung at Anakin's exposed left side. Anakin jumped backwards as Sidious' blade grazed against his arm, leaving a painful burn. Anakin hardly faltered, his blows became harder, angrier, forcing Sidious into a defensive position and tread backwards as the younger man advanced. Anakin was much taller and stronger than Sidious, and his blows were quickly forcing Sidious to only make defensive moves. He smirked, only making Anakin grow angrier. Suddenly, Sidious threw his lightsaber to his left hand and raised his right arm, quickly flicking it towards Anakin. He realized too late that Sidious was throwing his giant desk at him and caught it with the Force clumsily, forcing him to lower his lightsaber for a brief second. But a second was all Sidious needed. He raised his hand again and pressed his fingers together. Phantom hands clutched at Anakin's throat, preventing any air from entering as Sidious choked him. He gasped and fell to his knees, his hands clawing at his neck to try to pull what was not there away as Sidious cackled.

"You failed her and now your children are mine, Skywalker." Anakin stared up at him as his mouth flapped for air, feeling all the pain slowly subside. He knew then that he was dying. Soon it would all be over; all would vanish into blissful darkness. He felt lighter, happier than ever before. He no longer cared about anything, not the Order, not his children, just this wonderful feeling that was washing over him. Darkness started closing in on him, he could hardly hear Sidious' words. He vaguely registered someone, not Sidious, yelling his name, but the accented voice sounded miles away. Years away; a lifetime away.

He suddenly felt strong, stronger than ever before and he swung his lightsaber one final time, the blade burrowing deep into Sidious' chest. He fell to the ground in front of Anakin, his lifeless eyes still filled with the mirth experienced in his last moments. The still conscious Anakin gasped as he was hit with the most intense pain he had ever felt. It felt like he was being split in half, like he was on fire. Still on his knees, he fell backwards. Before he could even hit the ground, everything went black and he no longer felt like he was on fire, no longer felt he was being split in half, no longer felt anything.

* * *

Something was on his face. He didn't open his eyes as he could sense it wasn't threatening. He didn't worry about it; no longer felt the need to worry about anything. It just slid up and down his nose, onto his cheek and making a path to his lips. It tickled more than anything else. His eyes still closed, he felt something on his ear. He realized that they were lips after he heard the small popping sound two lips made when they kissed.

"Wake up," a woman whispered into his ear. He smiled wide; he knew that voice, he loved that voice.

"I am awake," he said, opening his eyes to see Padme lying beside him. She looked more beautiful than ever. Her hair was in flowing loose curls and she wore a low cut white dress. As he looked around more he found he was in a meadow on what looked like Naboo. He was laying in a field of green grass and discovered that the thing he had felt on his face was a pink flower laced between Padme's fingers.

"Look," she said, taking his right hand and kissing it. He felt her lips on his skin, actually felt it. He jumped when he realized it wasn't metal or robotic; it was real. Real blood ran through it, real flesh covered his real bones. He didn't feel the small lightsaber burn Sidious had given him minutes before and, though he couldn't see his own face, was willing to bet the scars over his eye had disappeared.

He beamed wider as he sat up and looked at her more. She was really there. He could touch her and she wouldn't disappear. And he did. Before saying another word, he pulled her into a passionate kiss, he his hands on either side of her face. After a minute of this she pulled her face away, putting a hand on his chest.

"Anakin," she laughed, stroking his cheek. "Calm down." He laughed too and took her hand, looking down at it as he played with her fingers. His expression suddenly grew serious and he looked up at her.

"You're…you're still dead, right?" Though it could have been a question, it sounded like a statement. "So that means I'm…"

"Yes, you're dead too," she said gently. He nodded slowly; he didn't need to be told. Somehow he already knew.

"But you need to go back," she said, squeezing his hand. He gave her a confused look, "If I'm dead, how can I go back?" She sighed and absently picked at the grass, "You remember how I found out that Sidious could transfer his soul into another body?" Anakin nodded, his brow furrowed. "Well, I found out when I got here that the body he puts his soul into has to be dead before he moves his soul into them, otherwise it wont work correctly, it wouldn't be possible for it to be permanent if the soul he pushed out wants to come back."

"So? He killed me, and then I killed Gother. I assume he moved his soul into my body. It worked."

"No. You weren't dead, you were just very close. But he basically kicked your soul out of your body, which makes it invalid. It means you can go back. Does that make any sense?" she asked, rubbing his hand.

"Well, I suppose but what can I do? I'm here now; I'm with you. I can be with you forever. Why would I want to go back?" he asked, putting a hand on her cheek.

"Ani, the kids need you," she said, covering his hand with hers.

"They have Obi-Wan, they'll be fine."

"Think of what he's doing in your body. He could hurt them. Besides, it's not your time to die."

"I've missed you so much, Padme," he said insistently, kissing her again. She kissed back, putting her hands on the back of his head, letting herself get lost in the happiness of being with her husband for a minute before she pulled away again.

"I've missed you too but you have to do this."

"What happens when I go back?"

"I don't know," she admitted. He sighed and kissed her hands, then her lips.

"You'll see me again," she said. "I promise."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you too," she said, kissing him one more time. Suddenly he knew exactly what he had to do. He shut his eyes and felt Padme's hand fade from his. He no longer felt the grass underneath him or heard the sounds of nature that surrounded the place he had just been. It was like he was in a vacuum; he felt nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing.

* * *

The ground beneath him was now hot and scratchy. Sand. He opened his eyes and was nearly blinded by the two suns he looked up at. He sat up and looked around to find a hooded figure standing a few feet away from him. He sprang to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. The figure pulled his hood down to reveal a scarred and wrinkled man. He liked like Palpatine if Palpatine had aged about a hundred years and been clawed in the face by a Nexu. The slits that were his eyes were bright red and burned into Anakin. He wasn't laughing now; he was scowling. Anakin found himself grinning, "So, out of ideas?"

"It is no matter, I'll simply kill you here," he snarled, igniting his own red blade. He surveyed Anakin for a minute, staring him down before he suddenly lunged at him, swinging wildly. Anakin easily blocked his clumsy blows and Sidious backed off, his lightsaber angled towards Anakin's face.

"Getting a little sloppy, eh, Palpatine? You're nervous, I can sense it," Anakin mocked. Sidious snarled again and moved his hand in a circular motion as Anakin advanced. Sand upturned by the Force flew at Anakin's face, but this time he was ready for it. He caught the cloud of sand with the Force and sent it back at the Sith lord, who had swung high at Anakin's shoulder. Seizing his chance, Anakin surged forward to embed his lightsaber into Sidious' chest as he had before. He screamed in anger, sending bursts of lighting at Anakin, his rotten teeth bared in a twisted scowl. Anakin absorbed the lightning with his hand, creating an invisible Force shield. Sidious began to crumple inwards and finally disappear.

Before he had time to even extinguish his lightsaber he was being pulled down into the sand. He reached up reflexively to try to grab onto something, to claw out of the sinking sand that was absorbing him, but it was no use. The sand was too slippery and everything went black once again.

* * *

A small black fly weaved around the room; it's nagging buzz unheard by the room's only occupant. The occupant in question was lying quite still, covered to his chest with a blanket. His foot poked out from the covering, exposing the flesh the fly hunted for. It buzzed towards the occupant and landed delicately on his toe, beginning it's feast. The minute he felt the tiny sting of the fly beginning to beginning to suck his blood, Anakin jutted awake with a gasp, calling his lightsaber to his hand and igniting it.

But nothing attacked him. The fly, startled by his dinner's sudden movement, quickly buzzed off in search of another meal. He breathed hard as his hand flew to his aching throat and looked around. He was in some kind of medical room. The walls were stark white and seemed to glow from the bright lights on the ceiling. The metal equipment that littered the room was so shiny it was like a mirror. He sighed as he noticed his right hand, which had gone back to being shiny and mechanical. He noticed the black glove he wore on it lying on the metal table beside him and he slipped it back on. Everything back the way it was supposed to be, except for one thing. The most important thing in his life. Padme. Killing Sidious hadn't brought her back, he hadn't expected it to, but something inside him had almost convinced him that something more would happen than this. It seemed almost anticlimactic. Still, through all that had happened, he was surprised that he felt a small surge of relief as he looked down at his gloved hand. All things in their proper place.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the door whooshed open and Obi-Wan walked in.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Well, fine, I suppose. What happened? Where am I?"

"On a hospital ship headed to Naboo. You've been unconscious for about two hours and I decided to quickly move on the capital with the death of Gother…Sidious, rather. So far it's been an easy victory. Militarily, Lither is an idiot without him so he is likely to surrender shortly." Anakin nodded slowly, staring at the white wall. Obi-Wan said nothing, realizing that Anakin had obviously been through a lot and had a lot to process.

"So he's gone, I really killed him?" Anakin asked. It was more of a surprised statement than anything else.

"Yes…you want to tell me the details about that?"

"First tell me what happened after I killed Gother, then I'll fill in the rest."

"Well…" Obi-Wan said, his mind searching for a way to explain something he didn't quite understand himself. "It looked like you had died. But you also killed Gother. Then you got up and seemed to be fine, but I could tell there was something…different about you. It didn't take long for me to realize that Sidious had moved his soul into your body. He was trying to heal himself quickly and was about to attack me when he collapsed again. You just lay there for a minute and I really didn't know what to do. I obviously didn't want Sidious to suddenly come back and use you to control the council, but I didn't want to kill my unconscious friend, so I waited. You finally opened your eyes and muttered something before passing out again. I could sense it was actually you so I immediately called a medical transport and ordered the invasion of the capital and here we are. Now, you tell me what happened." Anakin paused, smiling faintly, "It's a long story, one that I really don't understand myself."

"Well, perhaps it'll help if you talk about it," Obi-Wan said, shrugging slightly.

"Okay…so I really don't know what I thought was going to happen. I mean, I knew that he technically couldn't die, but I was also just so angry. I _am_ so angry. Killing him didn't help, even though now I'm sure he's actually dead. I was out of my mind with anger, anger that after all of this, everything we've been through she still died and I wasn't there to stop it. I had to do something and confronting him sounded like the best thing. After what you saw, it gets weird. I woke up and I was in this place that looked a lot like a meadow in Naboo and…Padme was there." To Obi-Wan's surprise, Anakin smiled as he continued talking, "It was some kind of afterlife, I don't know how to explain it. She said that yes, she was dead and so was I but I could go back. She said that I wasn't dead yet when Sidious moved his soul into my body, he forced it out somehow so I could choose to go back. When I did, I woke up on what I'm sure is Tatooine, though I know I wasn't actually on the planet. It was like a dream. We fought again and I killed him and here I am." Obi-Wan looked at him curiously for a minute, his hand covering his beard and his brow furrowed. Anakin let his eyes roam around the room, slightly uncomfortable at Obi-Wan's questioning gaze.

"That's incredible. Don't get me wrong-I believe you that's just…you actually came back from death. It's a little shocking."

"I know, I don't fully understand it myself," Anakin said, spreading his arms slightly and shrugging.

"Well, in any case, I have a small piece of news for you. The woman you were working with, Rose, we just found her trying to access the archives. She confessed to working for the Five Worlds."

"Of course," Anakin breathed. "Of course, she was so…strange. I knew she had some sort of ulterior motives but I never thought that. I thought she was just trying to flirt with me, I don't know."

"You seem…happy," Obi-Wan said. He almost sounded suspicious. Anakin smiled, "Yeah? Well, I guess I'm starting to realize that she's in a good place and all she wants me to be is happy." Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, "That's very…mature of you, Anakin. So anyway, you're sure Sidious is dead?"

"Yes, he's gone for good this time."

"Padme would have been proud," Obi-Wan said gently, patting Anakin on the shoulder.

"She is proud," Anakin corrected him.

_The End._

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_ Author's note: So yeah, that's the end. If you liked this story and want to read more (and I hope you do), check out the sequel to it, Knight, which takes place fifteen years after The Pawn ends and centers around Luke/Leia/Wilhelm. I hope you liked my first attempt at writing and thanks for reading!

Oh and some of you have been asking me to update my other story, Without You. I just wanted to say that I have not abandoned that story, I just sort of had no idea where I was going with it so I will update that sometime in the near future. Don't expect an update on really anything for the next two weeks as I will be away at camp with no computer access or time to write anything.


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